The Last Thing I Need
by Lady Proserpina
Summary: They've been enemies forever. Their families have hated each other for centuries. When one 'little' accident pushes the Dean of thier college over the edge, what could be worse then what happens when these two rivals are forced to work together? InuKag
1. Act I Scene 1

**A/N: **

**Nihao to all, seems almost like I'm rising from the dead, doesn't it?**

**In any case, I have a few important things to tell you all before you can read the story, so pay attention, okay?**

**I have put both The Storm and Just A Dream on official hiatus. It has been three years since I started either, and I think I have matured too much as a writer to continue right now. I will continue to edit them, but nothing online will be changing for a while. Just so you know, I am giving careful consideration to yanking either or both.**

**I am also going to warn you that I will not be able to update regularly. I just put my education above my FanFiction writing, so I will be writing in spare time only. My apologies.**

**This story is dedicated to _banxbadxkarma_, who helped me choose this idea over Maybe It Was Meant To Be.**

**Attention:**

**I am looking for a good beta reader. I would prefer someone who is familiar with (i.e., a member), has a good knowledge of the English language, and doesn't mind reminding me to update now and then. Please let me know if you are interested!!!**

**On with the story:

* * *

**

**The Last Thing I Need**

Starring:

MIIY-chan- author and inventor

Takahashi Rumiko- owner of the characters being used

Shakespeare- inventor of the basis for the plot

Higurashi Kagome & Nakamura InuYasha- main characters, Freshmen

Rukawaii Eri- director, Freshman

Dean Tanaka Kaede- mediator & Dean of Students

Iwahara Sango- Kagome's room mate and close friend, Junior

Ito Miroku- InuYasha's close friend, only human he will speak to, Junior

Onaku Kouga- InuYasha's room mate and sparring partner, Freshman

Torayama Ayumi- Kagome's best friend from High School, Freshman

Onisaki Hojo- Kagome's High School boyfriend, now 'just' friends, Freshman

Nakamura SesshouMaru- InuYasha's brother, Senior

Watsuyu Yuka- Another of Kagome's HS friends

**Act I: The Xenophobic Feud**

**Scene 1**

She was absolutely sick of it.

It was ridiculous; one of the most prominent demonic clans had a horrible grudge against an almost equally prominent clan of humans. Of course, each hated the other with a passion; and their confrontations had been known to send innocent bystanders running for the hills. Not that she minded, as long as whatever went on was legal.

But they really needed to keep it out of the schools.

The Dean of Students was staring out the window with her fingers touching the other hand's right below her nose. She was pointedly ignoring the two adolescents behind him who were glaring daggers at each other.

She knew that admitting both of them was a mistake, but both of their applications showcased exceptional young people. Both seemed like equally good candidates for the University, but now... She wasn't too sure.

Now, even only six months later, she was greatly regretting her 'total acceptance' ideals.

She swiveled the chair around until she was facing the two of them. Both teens snapped to attention, their eyes on her, awaiting the verdict.

The boy on the left was now glaring straight at the Dean, instead of the girl, with his arms crossed. The girl was biting her lower lip and guiltily shifting her gaze all over the Dean's side of the room. She was fiddling with the bottom of her miniskirt, and constantly crossing and uncrossing her ankles.

"I believe you both know why you are here, correct?" The Dean questioned in a no-nonsense sort of way.

The boy rolled his eyes and just answered, "Feh."

The girl looked fearful for an instant, and then suddenly blurted out, "I'm really sorry, Dean Tanaka, really I am! I didn't mean to do anything, honest! It was just an argument- he did it, I swear!" Just as abruptly, she lapsed back into silence and returned to chewing her lip.

The Dean raised her eyebrows. The boy sent a disparaging glance in the girl's direction and spat out, "You're pathetic."

"Nakamura-san, I don't believe you quite realize exactly how serious this offense is."

The boy snorted. "Feh. It's just a little water. Let's get this over with." He adjusted his position to get more comfortable.

"Nakamura-san, please pay attention. Higurashi-san, please calm down. We have decided not to press charges against either of you. The two of you do owe one quarter of the repair cost each, however. Now, will one of you please explain how this happened? And, please, I'm very interested in how you actually managed it."

The boy's glare intensified at the mention of owing money that was so clearly a _Higurashi_'s fault. He refused to answer. The girl did the same, thinking something similar. The three sat in silence for a minute.

The girl let out the breath she was holding and straightened up. "Well, Tanaka-sensei, it happened like this . . . ."

* * *

Higurashi Kagome woke up to the alarm setting on her iPod blaring "Don't Leave Me" by The All-American Rejects, her current foreign music obsession. Her roommate, Iwahara Sango, slept right through the noise that had woken morning-person Kagome up instantly. 

She tried her hardest to be quiet as she gathered her shower items and that day's clothing. Once in the hallway, Kagome whistled a tune while she hiked down the hall to Floor 6's shower. Her pajamas swished slightly, as silk pants tend to do, as she walked down the dim green-painted hallway.

The door opened as she got to it, and her best friend Ayumi exited the shower room clad in jeans and a light pink peasant tunic with her hair in a turban-style towel.

"Good morning, Kagome," Ayumi smiled cheerfully. "Earlier then usual. What's the occasion?"

Kagome laughed. "I wanted to beat the morning rush today, and I wanted to get to class early to talk with Kujouni-sensei about the Essay she assigned us."

"Yeah, I've heard Kujouni's essays can be bears. Good luck with that one," Ayumi bid her friend good-bye as she walked away toward her dorm room.

Kagome entered the shower room and stepped up to a sink along the right-hand wall. She brushed her teeth to get rid of her morning-mouth and used a washcloth and her special face cleanser to clean her face before going to a curtained changing room/ shower combo.

When she was done washing, Kagome returned to the sink and brushed her hair, which she had not washed that morning. She applied her makeup and pulled her hair back into a high ponytail.

Half an hour after entering, Kagome left to head back to her dorm room. She had changed out of her silk 'Hello Kitty' pajamas and was now wearing a deep green long sleeved fitted shirt and a denim miniskirt over leggings that matched her shirt.

She met a half asleep Sango on her way back down the hall, who only grunted to Kagome's standard 'good morning' chirp.

Kagome checked the clock in the hallway as she passed it and discovered that if she wanted breakfast, she had a lot less time then she thought she did.

Back in the room, Kagome stashed her shower things and grabbed her messenger bag, making sure her laptop, notebooks, and textbooks were present inside. She picked her purse up on her way out the door.

* * *

Kagome wound up eating breakfast by herself in the mostly empty cafeteria. She was earlier then the morning rush that she was usually part of, ad the only other people were a couple professors, a small boy with red hair, and a table full of Seniors who were dressed to kill.

Kagome finished her pancakes and scrambled eggs in the silence that surrounded the large echoing room. She went to pick up the notebook that had the questions for her teacher to review it quick, only to discover that it wasn't in her bag. She could see it in her mind's eye: The elusive notebook sat on the corner of her desk underneath Sango's bulky purse.

Sighing loudly in frustration, Kagome picked up her tray and deposited it on the conveyor belt and grabbed an apple from the fruit cart before she picked up her bags and headed back through the piled snow to her dorm.

She entered the building just as the rush was leaving, so she got stuck in the mess and wound up in an elevator headed to the twelfth floor. One the other people in the elevator got out, Kagome went to hit the button for floor six when a person shoved aboard and made her hit seven instead. She glared over at the person, who glanced wearily back and simply said, "Ground Floor, please."

Kagome sighed again and hit the six and the one.

The elevator took its good old time getting to the seventh floor, which neither of its occupants needed, and Kagome found herself counting away the seconds that she was wasting.

The door finally opened with a 'ding' and Kagome dodged to hit the 'door close' button quickly before somebody could tell her to wait. Lady Luck was not with her, an arm shot through to hold it open.

The arm's owner was a boy Kagome didn't recognize, but she was fairly sure she had seen him somewhere before. A voice called down the hallway at the arm's owner, and Kagome realized why he looked so familiar.

"Hey, Kouga, hold the door for me, will you?!" The sound of running footsteps followed as the person dashed down the hall. Kagome grit her teeth and steeled herself not to just punch the 'door close' button anyway.

A body appeared in the doorway, and was about to enter if he hadn't seen Kagome first.

"You," Kagome hissed.

"You!" InuYasha spat back. "What are you doing here?"

"Excu-use me for being in my own dorm building! What do you think you are doing questioning me like this? Now get in the stupid elevator so I can get on with my day. I'm in a hurry, and you're not helping!"

"Oh, really? Then maybe I'll just stand here for a while with my foot in the doorway." He smirked, and Kagome turned an odd reddish-maroon color. InuYasha refused to move, and the three other occupants of the car stood there staring at him with various expressions on their faces.

The person who got on at the twelfth floor was gaping at the three younger students cluelessly, wondering how she got stuck in such a confrontation. Kouga was staring at InuYasha with a disbelieving look and glancing occasionally at Kagome curiously. Kagome was torn between a glare and an incredulous stare.

InuYasha, on the other hand, was looking very pleased with himself. Even if he wound up late for class, and caused two innocent bystanders to be late as well, he didn't mind as long as _she_ got stuck. Kami, he hated her, the little witch.

Kouga finally had enough of his room mate's stubbornness and how it was causing the gorgeous girl next to him to get upset. "Dude, just get in here. I don't know what you're problem is, you moron, but there's somewhere I really need to get to as well, and if you don't get in here, I'll punch your lights out."

InuYasha didn't move still, and Kouga was winding up a good hit when a thin arm snaked around him to hit his friend square in the eye, effectively sending the boy a good foot out into the hallway.

He held his left hand over his damaged left eye and stared at the fuming girl. "You bitch, what the hell did you do that for?!?"

If Kagome's anger would have lowered a little, she would have felt sorry for the 'strong man' who had just been beaten by the 'weak girl,' but she didn't really care. "You jerk! You're just like all the others in you're family, aren't you? You're a pompous idiot who has no care for others in the world! Why don't you fall off your pedestal already, believe me, you aren't as cool as you think you are!" Kagome had completely forgotten all about her need to talk to the teacher, and she was totally focused on berating the boy in front of her. Kouga could only stare in disbelief at the girl who had gone from sweet innocence to a raging Amazon in seconds.

Kagome proceeded to yell and advance herself until she was screaming practically a foot in front of him. Had this been any other girl, InuYasha would have taken advantage of the situation and grabbed her. But that was saved for cute girls who didn't belong to a family of lying jackasses. Despite this, he conveniently realized that he had no case, and nothing to yell back at her. He also didn't want to physically harm a girl, no matter how stupid and annoying she was.

As soon as Kagome finished and spun around back to the elevator, which a frozen Kouga was still holding open, InuYasha found his skill of movement. He used his demon-enhanced speed to get in front of her, and without her noticing, he stuck his foot out and tripped her. Kagome had unfortunately still been holding all of her belongings, and she wound up crushed beneath them when she went down.

InuYasha had quickly dashed back to his old spot by the wall and was feigning innocence by the time Kagome had dragged herself back to her feet. She looked at the apple that was still in her hand, and she flung the fruit at him as hard as she could. She whirled on her heel and stormed down the corridor towards the stairs, which, she decided, would be InuYasha-free and faster then waiting for another elevator.

The girl from the twelfth floor gaped at her retreating back, but Kouga was watching the volatile InuYasha who was still fuming in the hallway. Kouga could have sworn he saw InuYasha's eyes turn red for a second, before InuYasha wound up and threw the apple back at Kagome's back.

Because he couldn't think straight, much less see clearly, his aim was a little off. The apple missed Kagome by a good five feet and went sailing straight at the ceiling.

Kagome was safely in the stairway when InuYasha's bad aim had its consequences.

She did, however, hear an alarm go off that sounded suspiciously like the fire alarm and she was suddenly plunged into darkness as the lights shut off. Kagome froze, since she was unable to see anything in the cement-encased stairwell. Emergency lights popped on with a buzz just as the door to the seventh floor opened and a very wet InuYasha, Kouga, and twelfth-floor-girl scrambled in. The girl was crying about something important being ruined and raced down the stairs as fast as possible.

InuYasha was looking even more pissed off then usual, and he didn't even bother to wait for his friend as he stormed down the stairs after the girl. Kagome stared at Kouga in expectation, waiting for any explanation he would offer.

Kouga only sheepishly held out the apple that Kagome had thrown earlier. She didn't take it, only raised her eyebrows. "Short explanation, because we gotta get out of here before the stair sprinklers turn on. 'Yash threw your apple back at you, 'cept he missed. He hit the fire sprinkler, and it started gushing. I think it set off the whole building, judging by the alarm."

The two began the hike down the stairs, briefly stopping for Kagome to run into her room for her notebook. She knew there wasn't actually a fire, so she figured she had the time. Kouga had waited for her back at the stairs as she ran through the light chemically-enhanced rain that was pouring into the hallway from the sprinklers.

They were halfway between the fourth and third floors when the sprinklers finally turned on in the stairwell. Kouga kindly placed his jacket over Kagome's head to keep the water off, holding his backpack over his own head.

Outside, there was a large crowd of people gathered around the building wondering what happened. They all crowded around Kagome and Kouga, who were apparently the last people left in the building.

* * *

"This," Kagome concluded, "Is when you arrived with the fire department and dragged us in here." She had obviously become more relaxed as she spoke, and by now she was the same confidant girl who had yelled at InuYasha earlier. 

"Nakamura-san, do you deny what Higurashi-san just said? Now is your only chance to correct any part of her story." Tanaka Kaede sat patiently waiting for a reply.

InuYasha seemed to contemplate what he should say for a minute before opening his mouth. "She was right, I guess. But I was provoked, it's not like I threw the stupid apple for the heck of it. Come to think of it, girl, I still owe you payback for hitting me in the first place." He darted out of the chair at the unsuspecting girl when the door to the office opened. The door was located in between their two chairs, since they were against the wall, and InuYasha slammed headfirst into the mahogany door.

"Tanaka-sama," The administrative secretary said hesitantly, wondering what had hit the door. "Onaku-san is here. Shall I let him in?"

Dean Tanaka was looking to make sure InuYasha was still alive when she offhandedly replied that Onaku-san was part of the case and could enter.

Kagome was trying her hardest to remain in her chair and not to laugh while inconspicuously craning to see what had happened to her nemesis.

The secretary turned around and made a 'come on in' gesture to the boy behind her. "Have fun," she commented as he passed her. She shut the door and sighed in relief to not be in there any more.

Kouga looked around him at the mess. Dean Tanaka was sitting very still in her chair staring at InuYasha, who was sprawled on the floor glaring at Kagome, who was shaking in the effort to not laugh. "Sorry about interrupting. Dean Tanaka, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Onaku-san. But you are a little late. You missed the story of events from this morning, but both parties agreed so a witness is not necessary. You may have a seat until I dismiss all of you. Now, you all know that the sprinklers set off. Unfortunately, when Nakamura-san threw the apple, he completely knocked the sprinkler cap off. As we speak, they are still attempting to shut the water off from that sprinkler.

"In case you haven't realized the damage you have caused, Higurashi-san and Nakamura-san, this one sprinkler that has been gushing for about three hours now. It has soaked through down to the first floor, and has temporarily rendered the elevators useless. Students will not be allowed back in their dorm rooms until late this evening, and many will need to be relocated. This includes you, Higurashi-san. Nakamura-san, Onaku-san, you will be staying in your own room.

"Nakamura-san, because you are responsible for this-"

"Hey!" InuYasha cut in, "She started it!" He had by now managed to pick himself off the floor and return to his chair. He had been listening while glaring at Kagome and his traitorous room mate, Kouga, who was now sitting next to Kagome.

"SIT down, Nakamura-san. No matter who started it, you were the one who caused the damage. Therefore, I am volunteering you to aid in the clean up. Both of you will assist those who are moving and request help. Both of you will also have to participate, active all year, in a club together, and you MUST get along. Otherwise, there will be repercussions. You may pick any club of your choice, and report to me later. I will be checking up on you.

"The bill for the damage you caused will be sent to your rooms, and a letter will be mailed to your parents. I expect the money by the end of the month, no exceptions. Now get to class. My secretary, Monoko-san, will give you passes. Onaku-san, stay a moment please."

Kagome and InuYasha stood up at the same time, but InuYasha shoved his way ahead, almost knocking her over. Kagome stormed out after him muttering curses under her breath. She slammed the door shut.

Kouga and the Dean sat in silence staring after the pair before he spoke up. "Dean-Tanaka, why did you have me stay behind? I have fairly little to do with this, you know that, right?"

The Dean leaned forward and propped her arms on her desk. "Onaku-san, I asked you to stay in hopes that you could tell me more specifically why they hate each other. I know the general story, most of Tokyo does, but since you are InuYasha's room mate I was hoping you knew more."

Kouga pondered a moment, wondering if he knew _anything_ that wasn't common knowledge. "Tanaka-sensei, InuYasha doesn't like me too much, and he rarely talks to me if there is no benefit for him in some way. I only know that the two families have been at their miniature war for almost twenty years, and it gets more out of control each year. I probably know less then you because I was raised in Hokkaido, far away from this."

Dean Tanaka sighed and rested her head on her hands. "Thank you anyway, Onaku-san." She waved her hand in dismissal. "I'll talk to you later."

Kouga exited and breathed an immense sigh of relief. He had been expecting to get some of the blame for not stopping them.

Dean Tanaka hit the button on her intercom that connected her with her secretary. "Monoko-san, please send for Iwahara Sango. And please bring me whatever headache reliever we have out there. Thank you."

**That's it for Scene 1!**

**Please remember that I am looking for a beta reader- If you are a nice person, please feel guilty and offer!**

**Hugs, MIIY-chan**


	2. Act I Scene 2

**A/N**

**Disclaimer: I do not own: InuYasha and company, or the last name I gave InuYasha and Sessy in this fic (that's from Dolphingirl0113)**

**Something like what happened last chapter did actually happen to me. I wasn't involved, just staying a floor below (we got evacuated). It was a Regional Youth Event at the University of Delaware, and a game of Frisbee went on in the hallway and knocked a sprinkler head off. It was not a fun day; we got moved to another building after spending a day of rumors wondering if our stuff was okay.**

**I forgot to tell you- If you review anonymously and want a reply, please give me your email address. Only questions that were asked by many people will be answered in the A/Ns, due to the review reply rule. I do try to respond to every review, so it is worth your time if you leave me a message.**

**I do have a legit reason for not updating- my beloved bunny died on the 23rd, and I got all depressed and really fell behind on all my work. Sorry.**

**This is a Romeo and Juliet fic, canon pairings (Inu/Kag maybe San/Mir & Kouga/Ayame). I do plan on finishing it.**

**SPOILER WARNING: The first part of this chapter draws very heavily on the beginning of the third movie. Don't flame me for spoiling it, nor for changing things around. Then, I did take a great deal of artistic liberty on the Higurashi Family History. Sorry.**

**I rambled again. . . Get used to it, it won't change.**

**Special thanks to: banbadkarma, my idea bouncer, and Amaya Mishugosha, my beta reader.**

**The Last Thing I Need**

**Act I Scene 2**

The bed creaked under the sudden strain of the extra hundred seventy-odd pounds as InuYasha sighed heavily and threw himself into it that night. Kouga followed him shortly, still complaining about all the trouble InuYasha had caused earlier, though he had been at it for so long, InuYasha had stopped listening.

Kouga continued complaining; about the trouble InuYasha got him into, about how InuYasha was forcing him to join a club with him, how InuYasha was being completely unresponsive, and how he couldn't ask the hot girl out because InuYasha wouldn't let him.

In fact, Kouga complained from the minute he entered the room, while he was getting his things, and until he left to take a shower.

InuYasha, meanwhile, just stared at the ceiling deep in thought. He didn't remember the night it happened, but he could still picture it as clear as day in his mind from the stories. The day the battle began...

::200-some years earlier::

The castle was quiet as Higurashi Makoto crept slowly along the paper wall. His job was simple- kill the woman who consented to mate with a demon along with her unborn child. This wasn't the first attempt, no, many before him had tried to do this deed, but all had been killed by the demon or sent back if he was in his mate's presence.

Her time was drawing near, so this was the last chance any of his clan would get to assassinate her. The great demon was away, so there was nobody difficult who would notice the intrusion. The plan was to slay the demon once his mate was dead and he was weakened from her death.

The simple Makoto continued to creep along the wall to the woman's rooms, not noticing the steadily growing demonic aura. He entered the room and before the woman had a chance to cry out, he took his katana and sliced her neck, killing her almost instantly. It was then that he heard a faint cry.

The woman had given birth to the abomination before he had managed to get to her.

Makoto raised his sword one last time, but a loud crack echoed throughout the wing of the castle. Just in time to stop the swinging of Makoto's blade InuTaisho leapt straight through the wall drawing his own blade. He made a sudden unaimed sweep at Makoto, sending him flying into the wall.

InuTaisho resheathed the sword of death and drew another, the sword of life. Calming himself, InuTaisho sensed the death demons already crowding around his mate's body. He quickly slayed them, then paused as his mate coughed and began to breathe again.

He turned back around and faced the intruder, the sword of death back in his hands. Makoto was only beginning to pick himself back up, and InuTaisho looked back over his shoulder. "Izayoi, take our son and run. Get out of here as fast as possible."

Her newly opened eyes softened as she looked at her love, realizing that this could very easily be the last time she saw him alive. "Hai," she said, lowering her eyes again as she picked up the child. The little boy began to cry, somehow sensing the tension in the air around him. The woman slowly stood up and prepared to flee.

Makoto, meanwhile, had regained his feet. He lunged at the demon, who had a slight amount of difficulty fending him off. In the end, Makoto went flying into the wall again. Makoto was not the smartest man ever, but he was very skilled with the sword. He was up again almost immediately. In a burst of anger, Makoto lashed out at the closest object, which happened to be a lamp holder.

The thin metal stand crashed to the floor, immediately igniting the drapery. InuTaisho turned around one last time and tossed Izayoi a red cloth, made of the fur from the fire rat, to protect her from the flames. His eyes softened for an instant. "Name him. . . InuYasha. Now run!" Izayoi threw on the robe and ran as fast as she could, flames close behind.

InuTaisho and Makoto fought until the roof of the castle collapsed on them, as Izayoi watched from the road.

She never found out how the battle ended.

Izayoi had immediately gone to the home of the nearest member of InuTaisho's clan, SesshouMaru's castle. SesshouMaru absolutely hated the idea of having a human and a vile half-breed in his house, and she was shipped off to a more distant member of the clan.

There she raised InuYasha, under the dislike of the other demons, until she died of heartbreak when InuYasha was only five years old.

::Present Time::

InuYasha flopped over onto his stomach. Those horrible Higurashis had murdered his father, and in the end, it had killed his mother as well. All because they couldn't understand.

Ever since then, InuYasha's family had been out for revenge. The Higurashis had reacted with equal force, and it had escalated over two centuries until both hated each other completely. The children were taught from the cradle to hate the other group. While over three generations had passed on the human side, many of the demons had lived then and were still very young.

InuYasha vented his frustration by punching the wall, though not hard enough to damage it. He didn't need to cause more damage that day. He flopped back onto his back and began to fall asleep, still in his clothing.

* * *

THUD!

A boot hit the wall as Iwahara Sango began taking off her 'party' clothes. She had attended a sorority party with one of her old high school friends, and now at midnight she had finally returned only because she had a killer test the next morning.

Thud! CRASH!

The other boot hit the wall softer, but it bounced right into the lamp that Kagome had put on the desk.

Next, completely unfazed by the broken lamp, Sango undid her high ponytail and fastened her hair lower, about at her shoulders. She slithered out of her skin-tight tube top and donned a looser T-shirt that had the symbol for L'Arc En Ciel, her favorite band, on the front. She left on the jeans she was wearing, instead just clipping off the chains.

A sharp bang echoed throughout the room as somebody knocked on the door. "Sango? I forgot my key again. Could you let me in?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "Yeah, hang on a minute." She continued to clean herself up, taking her time. Kagome locked herself out at least once a week, so it was no big deal. She finally opened the door as Kagome was preparing to knock again. "You know, what if I wasn't here one of these times? You'd be locked out for quite a while."

"Yeah, yeah. Now move over and let me in. You leaving again tonight?" Kagome wandered into the room and plopped onto a chair.

Sango eyed her exhausted friend with raised eyebrows. "I'm going down to the common room to see if anybody interesting is there. I'll probably be back kind of late. See you later." With that, Sango left the room and headed down the hall.

Kagome sighed again; nobody had bothered to talk to her all day, because the majority of her classmates blamed her for their difficulties. The day had not gone well.

Once the fire crew had finished inspecting the building, a specialized plumber had been called in along with an electrician to stop the water flow and turn the electricity back on. It wasn't until one o'clock that any student was allowed in. Because of the water damage, every student residing in the east wing of the dorm building floors one through six were moved. Most ended up in various hotels around the campus.

Kagome had wound up in Tokyo Views, which wasn't a five-star hotel but was still good. Sango and her room was very similar to their dorm room, except it only had one desk but did have a stove.

All three of them, InuYasha, Kagome, and Kouga were forced to help everyone else move before they were able, and Kagome had only now returned from helping Nurasaki Mishiko move all of her clothing.

Throughout all this, she still hadn't talked to her teacher.

After relaxing for a while, Kagome got up and went over to her bed stand. The deal was that Sango got majority control over the desk, but Kagome got the nightstand. She opened the drawer and pulled out a thick faux-leather bound book, took the small key that hung around her neck and undid the journal's latch.

Kagome then crawled onto her bed, bounced a few times to get comfortable, and grabbed the remote. She flicked the TV on and tuned into the local Anime Bonanza Network. Just as Rurouni Kenshin was beginning.

One of Kagome's favorite story lines, Rurouni Kenshin was just beginning a season of reruns, which she appreciated. She popped a lollipop into her mouth and hummed a little while she watched the first half of the show. About when Kenshin showed up at the bad guy's dojo she turned her attention to her journal.

_I ran into InuYasha again_, she began bluntly sticking the end of her pen into her mouth in thought, holding the lollipop in one hand. Her gaze drifted back to the TV, just as Kenshin arrived in the nick of time at the Kamiya dojo to defeat the bad guys.

_That idiot. We got into another one of our infamous arguments. This time he threw an apple at me, but being the complete no-brain klutz he is, hit the sprinkler instead. Not just hit; turned on and knocked the head off too. So here I sit, in a free hotel room. It wasn't even my fault(!), but I have to pay part of the damages. I hate him so much I could just. . . _

_Happy thoughts._

Kagome paused again, and watched as another episode of Rurouni Kenshin began. She hummed along with the theme song more openly after she threw her used lollipop stick in the trash can.

_So much for happy thoughts._

_This whole mess started back a long time ago, as in centuries. I guess the fates just wanted to mess with my life and make me part of this fated family. Maybe it's karma, and I was a horrible person in a past life._

_I guess I should make some attempt at recording the reason why I, a very mild-mannered person, can get into a situation like this. For posterity's sake. _

_It all started back a couple hundred centuries, back before Japan was united and each province was ruled by a warlord. Higurashi Hitaku was the warlord of one of the most powerful provinces. It was said that he could muster enough strength in an army to be able to defeat one of the most powerful demons, the Inu no Taisho. Because the villagers constantly spread this rumor that completely lacked truth, Hitaku felt threatened. . . _

Higurashi Hitaku paced the length of his massive throne room, deep in thought. The rumors had to be stopped, but there was no way, he couldn't just kill all of his subjects. Unfortunately, Hitaku lived in the constant fear that one day all of his family and subjects would be murdered by a blood-thirsty demon bent on revenge.

"Father, may I have a word with you?" A low, but exceptionally strong, voice spoke from the shadows.

"Yes, my flower?" Hitaku turned towards the voice, that of his eldest daughter, Kikyo. She sat perfectly poised on a cushion on the far side of the room, her head bowed in respect.

"I have heard that the Inu no Taisho's wife is with child. Is this true? If so, you have an outlet for your strike."

Hitaku thought for a moment, more for show then anything else. He would never purposely harm someone unprovoked, and he would especially never consider harming a pregnant woman. "Kikyo, that is not wise. An unnecessary show of power and death will only provoke the demons."

Kikyo hummed low in her throat in submission, but inwardly she was plotting the attack already.

::Eight Months Later::

Kikyo knew she was openly defying her lord by planning the attack. She didn't care. Hitaku was a soft-hearted fool to not see the opportunity.

She had already sent eighteen of the land's best men in secret assassination attempts. Her father wondered where all of his army officers and soldiers were, but nobody had ever thought to blame the princess. Kikyo's spies told her that the woman, a human, was due to give birth within the next two weeks. They also told her that her demon mate was going to be away for a week on an ambassador mission.

Now was the time to strike swift and hard.

Kikyo cast a wary eye at the man before her on the other side of the screen. Higurashi Makoto was nervously fiddling with the strap on his kimono. She knew he didn't believe in what he what she was making him do, but neither had the men before him. Kikyo had managed to convince them all.

Unfortunately, this was her last chance to succeed, and Makoto was very stubborn in his beliefs. "Makoto, if you do this for me, I will make you a general in my father's army, and give you status as a minor lord of this province."

Makoto turned slightly red at these words. He was a peasant, only chosen because he had merit after defeating a minor demon and saving a group of village girls. He was embarrassed that he was chosen last- he would rather not have been chosen at all. He also had heard that every other man had been slain during their attack.

Makoto was no fool. He learned this early on when he was beaten for having the same last name as the lord of the province. Now Kikyo, the princess, wanted him to go against his conscience and kill an innocent woman.

Kikyo glanced through heavily lidded eyes at the man who sat quivering before her. She knew he didn't want to help, and she knew that he was ashamed that he did not merit enough to get chosen among the first- even though he wished he hadn't been chosen at all.

However, she sensed that what she was offering didn't matter to him. Makoto was too simple-minded to want a place of power. "Makoto," she said suddenly, "If you consent to do this favor for me, I will marry you. You will not have to rule the land, although you have the name to. But think, if you kill one simple girl, you will have the greatest treasure in the land."

No man could resist the offer that she was making. Makoto hadn't even seen her face, but he didn't need to. It was treason for a commoner to set eyes on the princess unbidden by her father. Kikyo knew that no matter what happened, Makoto wouldn't see her anyway. If he wasn't slain by the woman's guards at the castle, Makoto would be killed by her father upon his return for his betrayal of the law. It would never be traced back to her, and her plan would be fulfilled.

Kikyo smirked. It would work out perfectly for her either way.

One of the candles on a pedestal next to the screen flickered, indicating that a shoji had been opened somewhere in the wing of the castle. "You must leave soon. Someone is coming. You strike in three days, I have an escort set to lead you to the Inu no Taisho castle. Do not disobey me." Kikyo rose and exited through a shoji behind her, leaving Makoto alone in the empty room as a draft extinguished the rest of the oil lights.

::Two Weeks Later::

Kikyo bowed her head in failure once again. It had been a week since she learned of Makoto's failure to kill the mortal woman and her hybrid child.

She should have been grateful; Makoto did manage to kill the demon itself and he had died himself in the process. Unfortunately, that meant the woman and infant were alive somewhere as witnesses as to who murdered the demon. As she sat in thought the woman was probable telling some other high ranking inu-youkai to come and exact revenge.

Either way, Kikyo got what she wanted, so she no longer cared.

_. . . And so, diary, the demons did come for revenge. Not for the widowed woman, they didn't care about her, but for their dead leader. SesshouMaru himself came and burned the Higurashi castle down after killing all of its occupants. _

_My ancestors came from Hitaku's youngest son who was away from the palace at the time. Of course, after such a defeat, the Higurashis lost all of their power as rulers and the Inu-Youkai added the Higurashi province to their assets. _

_Hikatu, my great-great-great-great-something grandfather was allowed to live but was stripped of his title. Only on his deathbed did he tell his family his true name, and the legacy was passed down in secret until the Higurashis could walk freely down a street again._

_Now, ironically enough, we share Tokyo with the same SesshouMaru and half-breed son (InuYasha, Duh). Because demons live so long. Supposedly, SesshouMaru hasn't changed since then, but InuYasha has grown to the rough equivalent of my age. Go figure._

_Since there is a law against killing each other, the two families simply attack and stop just before fatal harm is delt._

Kagome looked at the clock. In her writing, a whole hour of her life had passed by unnoticed.

Sango still hadn't returned, so Kagome just put her pajamas on and crawled into bed with the light still on. If Sango was going to come in and turn it on anyway, why bother to turn it off? With that thought in her head, Kagome drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

**And that's it for scene two! Hope you enjoyed it, see you next time!**

**Eventually there will be end-of-chapter bonuses, so stay tuned!**


	3. Act I Scene 3

**A/N:**

**Nothing much to say. Thank you all who reviewed! Don't worry, the chapters will get longer as we get into the meat of the story. After all, I have the chapters organized by what I want to happen. If it takes three pages, that's what you get. If it takes twenty, then you get that. **

**Thanks to my reviewers and my wonderful beta reader, Amaya Mishugosha!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**

**The Last Thing I Need**

**Act I Scene 3**

Kagome had been asleep all of five minutes when Sango came barging in with some drunk guy on her arm. Not seeing that Kagome was asleep, Sango just yelled out without abandon, "Kags, Haru needs a place to crash tonight, do you mind?"

It was only then that Sango looked around and discovered Kagome's slowly stirring form in her bed. She sheepishly waited until her friend was completely awake. "Kagome, I'm really sorry I woke you up, but I have a small problem. Haru here had a little too much to drink at the party tonight, and you know that students can't get into their dorms when they're so intoxicated. I figured you wouldn't mind too much. I didn't realize that you'd be in bed already."

Rubbing her eyes and blinking, Kagome looked over at Sango and her friend. Haru had his eyes crossed and was smirking at some invisible object on the other side of the room.

"Oh, no, Kagome, don't even think that! I won't put you out of your bed- I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't mind." Sango said, before Kagome even had a chance to register the company.

Kagome gave her friend a deadpan expression. "Sango, tell me. Why would I mind? As long as you two are quiet enough that I can finally get some sleep, I don't care what you do." Sango's weak smile twitched; she honestly hadn't even realized that Kagome might not mind. "Now, please make sure he doesn't throw up on the carpet. Good night." Kagome reached over to her nightstand and grabbed her eye-mask to block out the light that Sango would need. She snapped it into place and pulled the blankets up over her head.

"Good night, Kagome. I'll be as quiet as I can." Aforementioned girl only mumbled incoherently in reply.

Seeing that her friend was already asleep, Sango gathered up the spare blanket from her bed and carried it into the small bathroom. She fashioned a small nest on the floor for Haru, who was sitting inside the doorway with his legs bent underneath him.

Sango guided Haru inside the small bathroom, which she thought was still probably larger then the ones back at the dorm, Haru down in the blanket bed and returned to the main room, muttering a quiet 'good night' at the prostrate boy on the floor.

* * *

Kagome woke with a start the next morning. She gaped around the room soundlessly for a moment before she realized that there was no light, from outside or otherwise. Everything was silent, leaving no clue as to why she had woken up so unexpectedly. The clock on the cable box read four twenty-eight in the morning, which explained why there was no light.

She was just about to pull the covers back over her head when a loud choking sound filled the room. "Who's there," Kagome called out softly. Se received no reply other then more choking and a splashing sound that was suspiciously similar to the sound of somebody throwing up.

It was another moment before she realized that Sango had a friend somewhere in the room who was drunk, probably suffering a hangover by now. Sango herself was sleeping like a rock on her own bed, being the kind of girl that could stay out all night doing Kami-knew-what and then fall asleep instantly. She was also a night-owl, and was never happy to be woken up before eight. Unfortunately for Kagome, four thirty am just happened to be before eight.

A small single-battery powered flashlight resided in the top drawer of the nightstand, so Kagome groped blindly for the handle of the drawer, then for the light itself. She found it and clicked the switch, which failed to turn the light on. She banged it on her wrist, under the covers to muffle the sound, and the light flicked on.

Kagome did a quick sweep of the floor to make sure that what's-his-face hadn't puked on the floor itself. The last thing that Good Samaritan Kagome needed was to step in a puddle of vomit. Luckily, there was no puddles on the floor of the main room.

Another vomiting sound ensued, and Kagome sighed as she dragged herself off her bed and waddled toward the bathroom.

Once there, she flicked the light switch, making sure that the light wouldn't reach the sleeping Sango and that she wouldn't accidentally step in a puddle on the bathroom floor.

The scene that unfolded was less then pretty. Haru was pale, about the same color as the yellow bathroom tiles, and his breath rattled as he breathed in. The boy seemed to be asleep or unconscious again, and a small drip of drool or vomit was trailing out the side of his mouth. Haru was laying in a half sitting half laying position propped up on the sink. A cough wracked his body, and his eyes flew open as he sat up and leaned over the toilet in a hurry.

Wile Haru unloaded his stomach in the toilet, Kagome was struck with the idea that this wasn't the first time that Haru had been in this position. Not that hung-over people thought too much, but it seemed that Haru had adapted to it quickly enough.

Kagome waited for the retching to end, then she went in and picked up one of the washcloths that were hanging over the edge of the sink. She turned on the water and made sure the cloth was completely soaked in cold water. She knelt down and pressed the cool cloth against Haru's forehead.

The boy moaned and closed his eyes. He visibly relaxed under the cloth's coolness. Once Kagome was fairly certain that Haru was asleep peacefully again, she tiptoed back to her own bed and laid back down for another two hours of rest.

Later that morning, Kagome awakened to the sound of a loud groan. She managed to get her eyes open enough to find that Sango was already up. Judging by the direction of the groaning noises, Sango and her friend were in the bathroom. Alieving his headache, no doubt.

Kagome decided to feign sleep for a while, and soon enough Sango and Haru stumbled out of the bathroom. By Haru's walk, Kagome could tell that he was feeling much better.

The two whispered a little out of respect for the sleeping Kagome. The only thing that Kagome could pick out of the entire conversation was Haru mentioning that, 'An angel had visited him in the middle of the night and made him feel much better.' Kagome almost blew her cover laughing at the mention of her being an angel. She could name many people who would disagree.

Unfortunately since Haru was up and paying attention, there was no convenient way for Kagome to change. She had a class in an hour, and she wanted to pay a visit to some small restaurant to get some breakfast. She couldn't go to the café, because she knew that everyone in there blamed her for their problems. Even if it was InuYasha's fault.

Kagome wound up pestering Sango to put Haru in the bathroom for a minute so she could change clothing. Haru muttered indignantly about being treated like a pet, but went calmly enough. Kagome dressed the fastest she ever had in her life; donning her pale blue halter top, black sweater jacket, denim miniskirt, and navy knee socks in record time.

She let Haru out of the bathroom with an apology and bowed as she excused herself.

The small buffet restaurant, Painappuru, was a popular hangout for the teens of Tokyo, so most college students avoided it. Kagome, however, had loved the buffet for its small-business charm and welcoming atmosphere. There were no servers to deliver food, but there were about six uniformed waitresses wandering around to assist patrons. Each meal was served on a buffet bar on one side of the room near the kitchen doors. Kagome herself had once worked there as a waitress when she was in high school, but she had been forced to quit while she was applying to colleges. She was thinking of returning if they ever needed more help.

Kagome relaxed in her favorite booth, the one in the farthest corner draped by a cascade of leaves. There was a small pina colada candle burning on the table, and she stared into the flame as she sat sipping a hot tea and picking at a pancake. Life in college was not easy, and with a bitter rival looking for her destruction Kagome was worried about passing. She was considering a transfer, but she didn't want to leave all her friends and she had an obligation to join that club with the idiot.

She glanced at the clock, finished her tea, and packed up her things. She needed to consider bringing her journal along when she came here. Sitting all by herself really inspired her. Maybe she could turn out that novel that she had in her.

Kagome's first class of the day was her foreign language. She was taking advanced English, because she was planning on moving to America when she was done with school. All of the pressure in Tokyo was just ridiculous, so Kagome planned to escape her family and the crowded city in one move. She wanted to go someplace rural, someplace without smog, someplace where she could be free.

* * *

She was the first one in the room, so she had a little extra time to set up her laptop to the network and dig out her notes. Personally, Kagome preferred taking notes the old-fashioned way with pen and paper, but laptops were required for research and submitting some assignments. She also had an English Identification program installed that mirrored the class lessons.

Slowly other students began to trickle in and connect their computers to the network cables and the power jacks. The lesson promptly started at nine, and kept them all working until eleven o'clock.

Kagome grabbed another tea on her way to her 11:30 class, ignoring the cold glares many of her fellow students were giving her. Gosh, you get involved in a fight that wasn't your fault, ruin a few people's plans, and you're the exile of the campus world. A public college was worse then high school!

Rumors spread even faster because of the school's new network internet connection. Kagome's life was over.

* * *

InuYasha growled as he stumbled out of class. He hated having one over the lunch hour. Who the hell thought that up anyway? And why did a teacher want to work over lunch? So he always headed to lunch late and starving, when all the good food was gone. For example, today he had a reheated bean burrito without any toppings. The only good stuff at this time of day was the salad bar, and no MAN would ever get that.

Even if the burrito did taste like cardboard.

He slid into one of the many empty booths around the cafeteria walls with his tray. He also had a glass of cola and a small bowl of steamed carrots. The carrots weren't moving, but they still didn't look any better then the ones he was fed in junior high. InuYasha spent a few minutes poking at his food to determine if he could eat it and live. He decided that he couldn't, and threw most of his meal away.

He had the whole afternoon free, so he took his time wandering over to a nearby restaurant to find some edible food to satisfy his stomach.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

InuYasha managed to find Kouga wandering around town looking for chicks and trouble. Kouga had a punk rocker attitude, and tended to go looking for weaker gang members to beat up and prove he was 'tough.'

Currently Kouga was roughing up a couple of junior high kids who were spending their days hidden in an alley experimenting with drugs. Kids like this were Kouga's favorite prey; he figured if you gave them a bad enough scare, they'd go straight. A few did, but more decided to get even tougher. So it really backfired.

InuYasha was kind of amused with Kouga's different personas. Kouga was attending college as an art major, so he was taking a lot of art-related classes. InuYasha wasn't sure if Kouga's many different personalities were a result of him practicing for all of the plays he was involved in or if Kouga just enjoyed it. He had as many clothes as the average girl, just because he changed his stereotype so often. When he was going punk bashing, Kouga had a leather jacket, torn jeans and a variety of chains. If he was acting prep in his serious classes, he had slacks, clean jeans, and polo shirts. If he felt like being a lazy bum, Kouga had a variety of sweatpants, sweatshirts, and T-shirts.

To be honest, if InuYasha hadn't known him for so long, Kouga would be the greatest puzzle. Now it was just amusing, because Kouga's outlook and demeanor changed as often as his clothing. InuYasha found it hard to keep up with how he was supposed to treat him; he was surprised that Kouga kept it all straight. This, of course, strained their relationship, and InuYasha really didn't know the real Kouga very well.

The two wandered around downtown Tokyo most of the afternoon, straightening out little punks and looking very menacing. By the time InuYasha was tired of walking, Kouga was being followed by three girls in tight minis and tube tops with wedge sandals. All three looked like they belonged in high school yet. Kouga always managed to find amusement in the trashy girls that followed them, but InuYasha wasn't as amused and always gave every girl who approached him a dirty glare.

InuYasha's signal was a well timed cough, and Kouga managed to desert the girls and they headed back to campus for supper. InuYasha, as much as he hated school meals, enjoyed eating in the cafeteria for supper. He like being around others his age for a change to eat, and around his other friends. He also liked seeing Miroku, who was a junior, meaning they shared no classes. The best part was watching Miroku annoy Kouga then seeing Kouga pound Miroku.

Besides, supper in the Café was usually Kagome-free.

* * *

Kagome sighed in exhaustion as she stepped out of her last class of the day. She had Laboratory Chemistry at 4:30pm, and she was usually out in time to meet a few friends and go out to eat at one of their regular restaurants. Today, however, the lab had lasted particularly long and Kagome was running very late.

She pulled her cell phone out of her laptop bag and called Eri, one of her best friends from junior high. They had reconnected in college, and Kagome and Eri usually joined their other friends Torayama Ayumi and Watsuyu Yuka.

Eri picked up after three rings, "Hello?"

"Hey, Eri, did you guys leave yet?"

"Not yet, Kagome. Will you be here soon?"

Kagome sighed again. "No, you guys go on without me. I just got out of lab, it'll be a while before I can make it."

"Okay Kagome. See you tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye Eri." The two hung up. Kagome turned towards the school cafeteria, not caring that she was still dressed in dirty lab clothing. She was hungry enough to eat an elephant, and she didn't want to run back to her hotel room first.

**Sorry that was so short! I'll try to do better next time. . . **

**Wow, there was virtually no dialogue in this chapter. . That's not normal for me. . **

**Well, that's it for this chapter. Sorry there wasn't much action for your wait, but I'll try to get the next one, which promises to be much more interesting, written when I can.**

**Glossary:**

**Painappuru: Pineapple. Pineapples are a symbol of welcome, and the small buffet will return as a sanctuary for Kagome.**

**Please Review!**


	4. Act I Scene 4

**I don't want to sound like a complete review monger, but reviews do inspire me and make me feel good. No matter how good one's self-esteem is, a good review does wonders. (::cough:: two reviews last chapter wasn't that uplifting)**

**I think y'all can handle the language in this fic. If not, let me know and I'll raise the rating, but I don't think a couple potty-mouthed people warrant a higher rating. Alert me if it bothers you. And I do know that swearing is a little OOC for Kagome, but remember, she's in a community college with InuYasha, who brings out the worst in her. Case Closed.**

**Disclaimer: I own the Painappuru buffet, but not InuYasha. Or Kagome. Or Kouga. Or Miroku. Or anyone else.

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**

**The Last Thing I Need**

**Act 1 Scene 4**

InuYasha hummed a tune to himself as he headed to the only free table in the college cafeteria. Kouga had gotten into an argument in the buffet area with Miroku. Kouga and Miroku always were arguing about something; right now they were fighting over which type of soup was better. InuYasha had given up keeping peace and went to reserve seats instead.

The last table was always a prize to be won; so rarely was there a free space in a packed campus. That was why so many students ate out. InuYasha was within ten feet of the elusive table when some girl darted in front of him and sat down in a huff.

InuYasha stalked up behind the girl, who didn't notice the cloud of wrath that had formed. He coughed to get her attention, but she didn't turn around. "Excuse me," he said forcefully, "That's my table. I suggest you move. Now." The girl didn't even turn around; she just waved a hand in the air as a gesture of dismissal.

A growl escaped InuYasha's throat. He HATED humans. Too arrogant for their own good. "Listen girl. You're sitting by yourself. Find a table with one free seat. All of my friends are coming to sit here. Together. So move it." It was then that he noticed something unfortunately familiar.

The girl began to turn around to confront him, but InuYasha had already realized who it was, tilted his head back, and smashed his fist against his forehead. "Ugh. . . Kagome. . . I do not need you right now. Please leave."

Before Kagome could properly retaliate, Kouga and Miroku marched up, still mildly arguing. "Oh! Hello Kagome-chan. Fancy seeing you here. Are you sitting with us?"

InuYasha straightened back up and glared at Miroku with a 'you traitor!' expression. "Miroku! Do you not realize who this is?"

Miroku looked back at InuYasha with his trademark innocent eyes. "But InuYasha, I'm sorry. I know you hate her and all, but, she's my partner in Ancient History class. We're doing a project on-" Miroku was cut off as InuYasha grabbed him by his shirt collar.

"That partnership better not have been voluntary, baka, or you'll regret it." Miroku squirmed on the receiving end of one of InuYasha's infamous glares.

"Don't worry InuYasha. Despite the fact I would usually jump at the chance to work with such a beauty like Kagome here, the teacher assigned the work groups. Our group happened to also contain a couple, so we were left on our own." Miroku smiled weakly, "So will you please put me down now?"

InuYasha not-so-gently dropped his friend back onto the floor. "Kagome." He regarded his nemesis with cold calculation, as if she was about to grow another head and attack. "Now that I know it's you, I defiantly want you to leave. By force, if necessary."

Kagome blankly stared at him. "InuYasha, you horrible person you, there are no other seats here. Look around. Or are you too high and mighty to see down this far?"

Only then did InuYasha sullenly look around and see that indeed, there were no seats. He visibly deflated. However, he wouldn't completely give in, so Miroku was the one who had to tell Kagome that she could stay. Kagome and InuYasha spent the entire first course glaring at each other.

* * *

The table made the unanimous decision to send InuYasha to get the desserts from the dessert cart. Miroku and Kouga sent him because it was his turn, but Kagome sent him because she was only too glad to laugh at his misery carrying the heavy tray.

InuYasha returned and began handing out the goods. He took the best for himself, chocolate cake with a mound of peanut butter icing. Miroku received a piece of cherry pie, and Kouga got a pair of chocolate-chip cookies. InuYasha unceremoniously plunked a small bowl of red jello down in front of Kagome, who gave him a glaring deadpan expression.

"What," He defended himself. "You're too fat. This is just the dessert for a pig like you."

Kagome made and interesting transition from pale to bright red to maroon before retaliating. "EXCUSE me, Mr. 'Oh, enough food for three people doesn't fill me up', but who do you think you are to decide that?"

"Ken. Whenever I see you, you're eating something. I'm surprised you fit through the doors here." InuYasha stuck his nose in the air.

"At least I eat healthy food," she gestured at the plateful of fried chicken and the hamburger that sat on his plate, compared to her salad and orange. InuYasha only lifted his nose higher, having no reasonable response to Kagome's accusation.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't notice Kagome getting up and marching over, collecting Miroku's plate along the way. That is, until she smashed the bright red pie goo all over his face and smeared it in his hair.

InuYasha reacted much as she had earlier, turning shades of red before almost visible smoke poured out his ears. His reaction was a lot less vocal. Words seemed to elude InuYasha as he opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, not unlike a goldfish. Kagome was smirking and feeling too sure of herself to anticipate InuYasha's next move- he picked up his own cake and squashed it against her forehead.

Kagome glared at him for a few seconds before picking her bowl of jello up. She took a handful and splattered it on his ears and hair. Another handful went in his eyes, while the last was smeared all over his white shirt.

InuYasha, in turn, reached over to a neighboring table and grabbed another plate of pie, this time blueberry, and dumped it on Kagome's head. By this time, they had the attention of the whole cafeteria, which had fallen completely silent, even though the two had yet to utter a sound.

That is, until the person whom InuYasha had stolen the blueberry pie retaliated. "Hey! Loser- I wanted to eat that!" The very big and intimidating senior grabbed his buddy's cake and flung it at InuYasha. InuYasha had the good sense to duck, and the plate flew across the table to hit Kouga. Kouga grabbed another plate while InuYasha was sputtering angrily.

Kouga's rage got the better of his vision, however, and his plate hit another angry senior. Thus an all-out no-holds-barred food fight began.

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Kagome glared at InuYasha through a thick veil of spaghetti and cake crumbs. The two were sitting in the dean's office once again, this time because some fool had traced the fight back to them. However, the very beginning of the fight between InuYasha and Kagome was unknown, and neither one was talking. Kouga and Miroku sat on the other side of the giant mahogany doors, having been just released from questioning. 

Kagome had applesauce and salad dressing clinging to her hair and clothing along with the cake and spaghetti, but InuYasha was much worse off. She had ducked under the table right when the worst part began, but InuYasha had been right in the middle, egging everyone on. He had every kind of food imaginable splattered all over his person, and had made no effort to wipe any of it off. In fact, the two were sitting on towels on the floor so they wouldn't get the expensive leather chairs dirty.

Dean Tanaka was once again glaring at the two rivals with a look of utter disdain and annoyance. She didn't even have to go through a file. These two and their fight stood out so much that she had it memorized, and the only thing on her desk was a pad of paper for notes.

"Do you two have any idea how much you have cost this college? I will tell you: it is much more then the cost of keeping you here. I should just throw the both of you out. Now, I do not want to seem cruel, and I do not want to have to deal with your parents, so I am going to generously let you stay. Do you understand me this far?" She peered down the bridge of her nose at Kagome, who was looking very chastised, and InuYasha, who was glaring at the far corner.

Both nodded their understanding, each for different reasons.

"Now, something very interesting has come to my attention. The last time I had the misfortune of meeting with you two I told you to join a club. Together. Neither of you have joined anything new, let alone worked together on something. You just destroyed the cafeteria. You will find a club by the end of next week, or there will be harsh consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

Kagome and InuYasha mumbled various forms of 'yes, I understand.'

"Nakamura-san, join your friends outside the door. I want a story from each of you, separately. I will call you when I am ready for you. Do. Not. Go. Anywhere." InuYasha sullenly got up and trudged out. "Nakamura-san, take your towel with you; I do not want the leather ruined out there either." InuYasha turned around, grabbed his towel, and pulled a face at the dean. He slammed the door on his way out.

Kagome looked at the dean through the widest, most innocent eyes she could manage. "Please, Dean Tanaka-sama, it wasn't my fault. I know that's what I said the last time, and I know that a good part of this is my responsibility, but he started it."

The dean regarded the agitated girl with a calm, composed stare. "Higurashi-san, if you did not start it, what did? InuYasha has made it very clear that he wasn't responsible."

"Well," Kagome looked down at her knees, "His friends convinced him to go get dessert for everyone. His friends, unlike him, are very nice; so they convinced him to get one for me too. He brought back good stuff for all of them and the smallest bowl of sugar-free jello for me. I asked him why, and he said -loosely translated- that I was too fat. He then elaborated. I got mad, and retaliated."

"'Retaliated' how, exactly?"

Kagome smirked as she remembered. "I picked up Miroku-kun's plate and dumped the pie on his head. You would too if a jerk like that called you fat and said you were a pig." She crossed her arms with a huff.

"Higurashi-san, as much as I understand how you would want to defend yourself like that, it was a very inappropriate thing to do. I do not want to add to your debts, but you and Nakamura-san have once again cost this school a great deal of money. I believe the cleanup and replacement total came to be about 413,000 yen. This cost will, once again, be distributed evenly between the school and the two of you."

Kagome's mouth dropped and she attempted to protest. She knew if she kept costing her family so much money they wouldn't leave her at Tokyo U; she also knew that no other close college offered her combination of classes. This was not good.

"Do you have anything to add to your side of the story? Now is your last chance." The girl remained silent in worry. "Alright. If you are done, please go out into the hallway and summon Nakamura-san. Please wait in the hall in case I need to talk to you again."

* * *

Out in the hallway, InuYasha was complaining to Miroku and Kouga about the injustice of the situation, and about how it was all Kagome's fault. His ranting and description contained many colorful, inappropriate words, but InuYasha didn't seem to care.

"Ugh, that bitch. She's probably in there right now saying how it's all my fault. I hate humans. I hate females. And I especially hate the two combined. They always stick together usually to gang up on me." He sat down on the chair, not bothering to cover it in any way and not caring at all about getting food on the leather.

Miroku turned to face his fuming friend. "InuYasha, the Dean is a very fair lady. She will not take sides. An you know, Kagome-chan isn't all that bad. She is a very nice girl if you get to know her. You just treat her like crap, so she does the same to you."

InuYasha just made a disgusted face and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"InuYasha," Kouga added in, "I have a question for you. Do you ever think about the people around you? The whole world does not revolve around you; there are other people in the world, and they deserve your consideration. I mean, have you ever really looked at Kagome? You two fight all the time, and I bet you've never really looked at her. Do you have any idea how gorgeous she is?"

InuYasha snorted and turned his head to avoid Kouga's invasive questioning. Truth was, he had noticed Kagome. He fought with her so much so he had a reason to ignore her. If his brother wasn't on campus to notice, InuYasha might have forgotten the family hate and asked her out. By now he was too set in his ways and stubborn to even consider the idea. "Feh. To you, maybe. I think she's the ugliest girl here. Now lay off my back."

That was when Kagome threw open the door and marched out.

"Get your ugly ass in there. Fast. I want to go back to my dorm." She didn't even bother with any pleasantries; just commanded him in a voice he didn't dare disobey.

InuYasha gave her a _look_ before pointing out, "Don't you remember, wench, you no longer live in a dorm. Thanks to you, half our building lives in hotels now. So you couldn't go back to your _dorm_ if you wanted." The smirk on his face could have lit the hallway.

Kagome scowled. "You know damn well what I meant. Now get in there." InuYasha shuffled inside and slammed the door, causing the frame to shake and a picture to fall off.

She took one look at the dirty seat InuYasha had vacated before plopping on the floor. "For the record," she directed at Miroku while pointing at the fallen picture, "That is NOT my fault."

"I never said it was, Kagome-chan." He responded, before all three lapsed into silence.

"You know what?" Kagome broke the silence after about three minutes, causing the two boys to jump. "Actually, I wonder something. Why is it that InuYasha talks to you, Miroku? He's so proud that he never will befriend a human. Yet he spends more time with you then anyone else. Did he ever tell you why?"

Miroku and Kouga thought for a moment. The question obviously stumped both of them. "Well," Miroku began, "I think its because humans are a lot quieter. We're better to talk to. Everyone needs a confidante, and I just happened to be in all of his classes. We were kind of forced on each other. No offense, Kouga."

"None taken."

Kagome changed the topic, "He's probably in there right now saying how awful I am, and how it's all my fault. It is, you know. I admit, I did start the fight this time." Kagome looked dejected as she gazed down the hall at the broken picture frame.

Miroku picked up on her discomfort. "Kagome-chan, don't worry so much. You may have started it this time, but he had it coming. He deserved it."

"Yeah," Kouga added, "And ironically enough, that's the same thing he said about you. So, if you both tell the truth, there should be no problem."

Kagome rewarded both of them with a smile. "Thank you both, very much."

She would have said more, but just then the door slammed open and InuYasha stumbled out.

"Tanaka's _pissed_. Find some club. Any club. Well, don't make me join Doll Collectors or anything dumb like that. Let me know when you've found one. Kagome just pulled a face at him and, assuming the Dean didn't want to talk to her again, Stalked away.

**Review!**


	5. Act I Scene 5

**A/N**

**The matrix has me!!! I went back and edited all of the eariler chapters so that they showed up properly on the website. You wouldn't believe all of the fact anomalies I found. It's all good now, and some stuff has been changed around a bit. Check it out, see if you can spot any differences.**

**Last Scene of Act I! What a milestone.**

**Thanks for those of you who reviewed! You all made my day! (to those of you who didn't, well, you know who you are ::glares::)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or "Indelible Sin" by Nana Kitade. It's just a great song.**

**So I was cleaning out my room the other day, and I found an old story of mine. (It was mentioned in an A/N in here) I'm thinking of picking it up again, maybe once Act II is a decent length. Thing is, I don't know if I want to write two college stories at once. Feedback would be appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

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* * *

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Last Think I Need

**Act I Scene 5**

Rukawaii Eri ran around her small office in the theater. She was the student director of the school's play, a position that she had lucked into by accident. If she had known what it entailed beforehand, she never would have agreed to it.

She had quickly learned from her predecessor that while being in charge was fun, it was never all that rewarding. If a play was a success, praise the actors; if it was a failure, blame the director. She was up against her toughest challenge: cast and direct the major play of the year, for the annual Shakespearean Festival. Eri had to choose the cast, the crew, the scenery, and even the date. Worst of all, she had to pick the play.

It was currently ten at night on a Friday. Most people had lives and were going out. Not her. Eri was cooped up in the small office researching possible plays. A lot went into the choosing of a play, and she was swamped with work. She had to consider what plays had been done recently- no repeats within five years. She also had to look at length, prospective actors, a whole bunch of junk. Eri's favorite play, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' had been done two years ago. Last year they had done 'Macbeth' because the prospective cast was amazing and full of talent. Four years ago had been 'King Lear'. Not that Eri liked that play anyway. Three years before the director had decided to branch out and try something not-Shakespeare. The play had been something about the Tanabata, and had been a major flop. The play itself was good, but it broke with tradition and was met with scorn.

Eri sifted through all these records.

What else was there?

All of Tokyo U's greatest actors had graduated the previous year. The only one who hadn't was starring in a TV show this year, and another girl had become a voice actor and was just too busy for anything else not-academic. Eri thought a minute. The only good new talent they were supposedly getting was some boy named 'Onaku'. He had supposedly starred in a bunch of High School plays and Children's theatre performances.

She realized that all she needed to do was find a play that only needed a couple of its actors to be exceptional. She thought for a few more minutes.

"I've got it!" Eri called out to the empty room, "I'll try 'Romeo and Juliet'. That should do it." It made sense. Already Eri was formulating a plan. She could cast Onaku in the lead as Romeo, then she just had to find a Juliet. Of course there'd be tryouts, but it was good to have a fallback plan.

Eri recalled that her friend Kagome had starred in her share of plays back in High School. Rather, Kagome had been the townsperson who shouted out how rude the lead characters were, but Kagome still had acting experience. . . Eri decided to ask the next time she saw Kagome.

Eri sat down and leaned back with her feet on her desk. "I love it when a good plan comes together. Kagome, Onaku, you'll never know what hit you."

* * *

ATCHOOO!!! Kouga sneezed violently and rubbed his finger under his nose. "Hmph. Somebody must be talking about me. I hate it when people do that. Jerks."

Miroku, who was sitting on the floor nearby, chuckled at this statement.

The noise from the room's other occupant reminded Kouga that he was not alone. "So, moron, why are you here? InuYasha asked you to visit, sure, but does it look like InuYasha is here? No. I have a bunch of important things to do."

"Oh," Miroku replied with a deadpan expression. "You mean important things like talking to yourself. Okay. That is much more important then the life threatening reason InuYasha called me here for."

Kouga peered at Miroku over the frames of his glasses. Miroku was the only person besides his roommate that had ever seen Kouga with his glasses on. He needed them to read, but he usually wore contacts. Miroku had come in too suddenly for Kouga to hide the glasses and still be able to study. "And what, pray tell, is this fatal reason. It can't be that important, because InuYasha is not even here."

"Well," Miroku looked down at the magazine he had picked up on the way over, "He didn't say."

Kouga snorted. It figured. The mutt that he called a roommate had probably forgotten that he had asked someone over. Still, Kouga didn't have it too bad. InuYasha never had invited any distracting girls over, or thrown any wild parties. Kouga had it easy compared to almost anyone else that he knew.

The magazine crinkled as Miroku turned a page. "Could you stop that," Kouga groused. "All of your magazine rustling is distracting me."

"Oh forgive me, oh mighty Kouga. I'm so sorry that my presence is so disturbing. Should I leave?"

"Would you?" Kouga pasted a half hopeful look on his face. He had a test the next day on the first ten chapters of his Chemistry book. He hadn't left all the reading until the last minute, but there was a lot of stuff he needed to review.

Miroku just pulled a face at Kouga and continued thumbing through his magazine on winter sports. He filed a few ideas away for things to try, even though he'd probably never get around to it.

The door suddenly banged open as InuYasha made his noisy, hurried entrance. "Miroku! You're here already," InuYasha exclaimed as he shed his light jacket.

"Yes InuYasha. I actually got here late, it seems that you are mis-"

"Yeah, yeah," InuYasha interrupted, "Anyway, I need help."

Miroku sighed but nodded. "So you said. Whose life is so threatened that you needed to call me?"

"Huh? What do you mean 'whose life is threatened?'"

"You baka," Kouga cut in, "It's a figure of speech. It means that whatever is urgent. Now will you two please work this out and shut up?"

"Why don't _you_ go down to the study room or computer lab? This is my room same as yours," InuYasha countered smugly.

"InuYasha," Miroku sighed again. When it came to dealing with his best friend, he sighed a lot. "Just tell me what you need to. I'm tired, and I want to get to bed."

"Oh. Right. Um, did you do Sasake-san's take-home test?"

"Yeah," Miroku remembered that particular test very well. It had been a beast, because the book and the internet were both fair game. That meant it would be easier to find answers, so the questions were made harder. He was suspicious as to what InuYasha's answer would be. "Why?"

"I, well, didn't do it yet. I was wondering if you could help me."

Miroku gave his friend a deadpanned look. "By 'help you' you mean that I let you copy. You didn't ask before now? It's due tomorrow."

"Keh." InuYasha disguised his sheepish look by sticking his nose up in the air. "So you gonna help me or not?"

Miroku contemplated this. Sasake-san was notorious for checking everything, and if any teacher ever caught any cheating, it was Professor Tomoe Sasake. "I'll compromise, InuYasha. I don't want to see you fail, but you do need to put some effort in. I will give you the list of books, websites, and text pages that I used. You have to look it all up on your own. Deal?"

"Feh. Why can't you just give me the answers?"

"InuYasha, I worked hard on this. You either take my sources or you get nothing. End of story."

Silence reigned as InuYasha seriously contemplated this. "Do you have marked which source goes to which question?"

"A few of them, yes, but not all. The rest are organized by category." Miroku smirked to himself. Actually, over half the sources were labeled and the rest were just randomly thrown together.

"Fine. Hand 'em over." InuYasha stuck out his hand in expectation.

Miroku gaped at his friend. "You think I carry that around with me? It was five pages! You have to come back to my room with me."

InuYasha made a growl-like noise and stalked out. Once he was halfway down the hallway, he turned back and shouted, "Oi! You coming, baka? I don't have all night!"

Miroku heaved a sigh and followed InuYasha. All this trekking after the hot-headed idiot in front of him was going to kill him.

* * *

Kouga sighed at the peace that existed after the other two left. Finally, he could study in peace. He glanced over at the doorway. The idiot human, Miroku, had left the door open. Again.

Getting up, Kouga also happened to spy InuYasha's backpack laying near the door. Ignoring the fact that the baka hadn't put his stuff away again, Kouga noticed a glint of silver. InuYasha had run off without his key.

He smirked as he shut the door and locked it, effectively keeping every other person in the building out. Life was good.

Kouga settled back down on his bed and smiled, though his smile turned into a frown pretty quick. He had remembered the one thing that was not good in his life.

His father had been a famous actor, and wanted his son to follow in the 'family business'. While they were demons, wolf demons had incredible memories, making them able to memorize a script faster then any other species. His mother had also been a famous actress, so everyone had thought Kouga would be a rising child star. Not so. Kouga shunned the business like the plague.

Still, his parents had pushed him into every kind of drama club and play group that they could. The deal had been that he could major in anything he wanted, as long as he participated in the plays. Kouga didn't mind the acting too much, but he hated the grueling expectations.

Kouga was happy in his art major at the moment, and he didn't plan on changing. He wanted to be a graphic designer, not some pretty-boy actor. The rest of the world didn't understand this. He had already gotten three e-mails from the newest college play director, begging him to come try-out. He, in retaliation, was ignoring the letters and making her sweat, even if he had no choice in the end.

He sighed as he rolled over and got back to his homework.

* * *

InuYasha punched the computer in frustration. That idiot, Miroku, had lied. Now InuYasha had a full sleepless night's worth of work ahead of him to complete the test.

Of course, there was no reason to take his frustration out on the computer, but there was nothing else to vent his frustration on. He couldn't even yell at other people, because the room was completely void of other human presence.

So far, he had about ten out of three hundred questions answered. This was not going well.

He hit the computer as it brought up another 'internet page not found' message.

* * *

Miroku smirked as he rolled over in his bed. He was fortunate enough to have very wealthy parents who happened to live nearby, so he spent almost every night in his own bed in his own room.

He was also fortunate to have a gullible friend like InuYasha, who was unable to reach and maul him at this time of night. Life was good.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

The sound of an electric guitar echoed throughout the small hotel room at 6:00 the next morning. Soon followed by a buzzing that indicated a phone vibrating, lyrics began accompanying the guitar.

_Mayowazuni kono aiwo shinji ikiteyuku, fusagaranu kizuguchimo gyutto dakishimete. . . _

Kagome rolled over and hit her alarm clock automatically. When the intrusive noise didn't stop, she whacked the clock again.

_Mayowazuni kono sadame ikiru ikiteyuku. . . _

The phone vibrated itself off the table and hit the floor with a dull thud. The music skipped a beat and continued.

"Kagome!" An irate Sango called from across the room, "shut your music off! It's too early for that."

At the worry about Sango's rage, Kagome got up and picked up the offending phone.

_Kimitonara eienmo kitto tsunagatte-_

"What?" Kagome snapped at the person stupid enough to call this early in the morning.

"Good morning Kagome!" The person on the other end of the line chirped.

"Hello Eri," Kagome ground out, "what did I do to deserve this rude awakening?"

"What did you do? What the hell did I do?!" Sango yelled in the background.

"Anyway, Kagome, will you meet me for breakfast? I have a question for you that I can't ask over the phone." Kagome could hear the smirk in Eri's voice. The girl obviously enjoyed tormenting her friend.

"Fine, Eri, but I have a condition. You need to wait until I've woken up and had a shower. And you will never call me this early ever again unless blood and death are involved."

"Woken up?" Came Eri's confused reply.

"Yes," Kagome admitted, "because I'm convinced this is all a dream and I'm still asleep. I'll see you at the Painappuru at seven." The line went dead as Kagome hung up.

* * *

Exactly an hour and ten minutes later, Kagome stood at the door of the Painappuru restaurant. She was a little late, but she figured that Eri could live with the wait.

Upon entering, Kagome found Eri sitting at a normal, boring table in the center of the room. This table had a small candle shaped like a pineapple on it, but the candle wasn't lit. It was too early in the day for the darkened candle-lit atmosphere, so the drapes were wide open and the overhead lights glowed.

Kagome picked up a vanilla coffee and slid into the chair opposite her friend. Eri took no notice, so Kagome coughed and poked her friend. Eri jolted at the touch, looking around as if she had no idea where she was.

"Oh, Kagome. Good morning! Would you like something to eat before I weigh you down with business propositions?"

Kagome considered the idea of delaying the demands, but she realized that it would be best to just get it over with. "No, Eri, I'm fine. What do you want to discuss? I have a class in less then an hour."

Eri sighed. Her friend was being particularly hostile this morning. "Were you going to try out for the drama club play this year? I think you'd be good if you tried."

"Eri," Kagome started, paused, and sighed. "I told you the first three times you asked me. I have no interest in being another extra in a play. So, no, I do not want to be in the play this year. And you know I'm not a big fan of Shakespeare."

Eri gaped at her friend. "Why do you think it's a Shakespearean play?" She laughed nervously. "I never mentioned anything about Shakespeare."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Eri, I know that the only reason you would want me to be in a play is because you're the director, or you would benefit somehow. You just so happen to be directing the Shakespearean Festival play this year. Am I wrong?"

Eri remained silent.

"That's what I thought." Kagome smirked. She had spent too many years of her life trying out for parts only to be brushed aside for somebody who was prettier, could sing better, or had a better stage presence. She wouldn't stand and shout in the background anymore if she could help it. Having had enough of Eri's pleading, Kagome stood up and picked up what was left of her coffee.

"At least come to try-outs," Eri continued pleading. "If you don't get anything, then you don't have to stay in the play. I swear."

Kagome pretended to ignore her friend while she pushed her chair in and turned around to leave. After taking three small steps away, Kagome turned around. "Fine. I'll come. But I probably won't stay with it, so don't you even try to make me after this, okay?"

Eri just smiled and nodded. Once Kagome was there, Eri wasn't going to let her go. But Kagome didn't need to know that yet.

**AN: **

**Haha, I love the idea of Kouga as a drama geek. I don't even know why, but I guess that melodrama fits him somehow. It also fits the split-personality idea explored earlier. And, if you hate it, too bad 'cuz it's a fairly important part of the plot.**

**Also, please let me know what you think of my portrayal of Miroku's character. Of them all, he's the one I have the most trouble with. I usually get him too perverted, so now I'm writing him a little OOC. Sigh. Please tell me what you think!!**

**Don't forget, I want opinions on the idea of yet another story. Opinions on anything else are good too, of course!**


	6. Act II Scene 1

**A/N**

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, who is actually owned by Takahashi Rumiko-sama and VIZ. I do own my story's plot, and the Painappuru buffet. No stealing.**

**We made it into act two::brandishes a pen sword and a paper shield:: "To battle!"**

**I've decided to put A/Ns at the ends of chapters now. Look for 'em there! **

**

* * *

Act II: The Wrong End of a Bad Cast**

**Scene 1**

"Hey, InuYasha," Kouga called out in the most annoying voice he could muster. InuYasha was sitting slumped over in a booth along the side of the cafeteria. A tray with a bowl of oatmeal sat across from him, but judging by the cleanliness of the spoon, InuYasha hadn't touched it yet.

InuYasha looked up at Kouga and grumbled something incoherent before laying his head back down.

"'Yash, what's wrong? I know your not the most morning person ever, but come on- it's almost 11 already. You have class in half an hour. Finals week is next week. It's not a good idea to drop on energy now. I'll go get you a coffee." With that, Kouga turned around and marched back into line.

He soon returned carrying a tray with three large disposable coffee cups, set the tray down next to InuYasha's untouched oatmeal and lifted him out of his slump. Before InuYasha could settle back down, Kouga stuffed a cup in each of his hands.

"Drink those," Kouga instructed, "They'll wake you up." He took the extra cup for himself and began sipping the steaming liquid within.

InuYasha tentatively took a sip out of the cup in his right hand. As soon as the liquid hit his tongue, however, he made a face and thrust the cup back down on the table. Giving Kouga a murderous glare, InuYasha growled, "You know I hate coffee."

Kouga stifled a smirk. In fact, he had known this, and had gotten the drink half because InuYasha hated it. The other half was in InuYasha's best interest of waking up, of course. "I did not know that, InuYasha," He stated with feigned innocence, "If you hate it that much, you should have said something when I went to go get it."

Faced with that logic, InuYasha continued to glower at his roommate while he took forced sips of the first cup of coffee. Kouga waited a few minutes of this torture before getting up and fetching a few plastic containers of cream and a handful of sugar packets.

InuYasha gratefully took the new offerings and poured almost all of them into the first cup. Kouga had forgotten to get a stir stick (he drank his own coffee black, and just didn't have that much foresight, InuYasha assumed), so InuYasha picked up the spoon that he had intended to use for his oatmeal.

After stirring his coffee into a rich, creamy brown color, InuYasha poked the spoon into the oatmeal to see if it was any good yet. He was met with a little resistance because the oatmeal had been sitting there too long, but the spoon broke through and InuYasha was able to scoop up a chunk of his breakfast. He tasted the oatmeal and almost spat it back out again. Not only did it lack enough flavor, it was far too cold to properly ingest.

InuYasha sighed as he pushed the bowl away again and took a sip of the new and improved coffee. Kouga chuckled to himself while he watched this. Nothing started a day off interesting better then a laugh at your friend's misery.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

It took about seven minutes for InuYasha to finish the first cup and become a socially acceptable person. He even got up to get more cream and sugar himself for the second cup. As soon as he sat back down, Kouga began laying the groundwork for his idea.

"So, InuYasha…." Kouga trailed off, "You and Kagome-chan need to find a club yet, huh?"

InuYasha grunted. The last thing he needed was a reminder of that girl so early in the morning.

"Well," Kouga continued, "I have it on the best authority that one of Kagome-chan's best friends is the student director of the Shakespearean drama club." He left the statement open-ended for a moment, but InuYasha didn't react in any way. "You know what that means, right? She'll probably have Kagome join as well. You should join too."

InuYasha raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to join something so stupid like the 'Shakespearean Drama Club'?"

"Do you have that much of a one-track mind?" Kouga still didn't get a response to his questioning. "If she joins, and you join, there you go. One club that you are both active in, served up on a platter." He smiled at his reasoning.

"I'm not stupid, Kouga," InuYasha growled again. "I did realize that it would be a club for the two of us. However, I know nobody else in the club, I can't act for crap, and I hate being up in front of people like that. Name me one other reason to join, and I'll match you another three not to." InuYasha took another satisfied swig of his coffee.

"I, InuYasha my friend," Kouga began in a near-perfect imitation of Miroku, "am in the Shakespearean Drama Club. And I am looking for some friend to join me. If you don't make the cast, then I could always use extra help with my makeup backstage."

InuYasha began coughing as he heard that acting would involve makeup. "Oh HELL no, you're not getting me to join anything that I would have to dress up like a girl!"

Kouga smirked. "The makeup just enhances your skin tone, so the audience can see you. That's all; you will not be wearing a dress or glitter eye shadow. I swear."

When InuYasha didn't comment on his assurances, Kouga plowed on. "I'll even help you. I've been acting since I was five, so I should be able to give you a few pointers. In fact, I might even get you a part!"

"Feh. I don't need a part in the stupid play. I'll just join and hang out for a few months."

A chuckle came from Kouga's side of the table. "InuYasha, you idiot. Only cast members, seconds, and the makeup team are considered active members. You already said you don't want to do makeup, so you have no choice but to get a part." InuYasha began to protest, but Kouga realized what he was saying and beat him to it. "No, stage crew is not a part of the drama team. I don't care if you join stage crew, but I doubt Tanaka-dono will think it counts.

"By the way, did you know your class starts in three minutes?" Kouga finished with a flair.

"Aw, shit!" InuYasha exclaimed as he grabbed the cup that still held coffee. He ran out the door, leaving a laughing Kouga behind to throw away the remains of his breakfast.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

Eri was running around her office yet again. Tryouts for her production were the next day, and everything had to be ready. She still hadn't picked a passage for the actors to read, and only the directors script had come in.

She had chosen to hold a blind tryout session; one where the cast hopefuls didn't know what they'd be doing ahead of time. Unfortunately, neither did Eri. She really didn't want to screw this chance up. Very rarely did freshmen get the student director slot, and if she failed, she would never get to try again. If she failed, her experience portion of her theatre management major would be ruined. So there was a lot of weight on her shoulders.

Eri screamed in frustration as she threw everything off her desk. The directors script had been buried there over a week ago by her mentor, Kurika Murasaki, the junior festival coordinator. Kurika had only shown up twice to help, once to tell Eri where everything was in the theatre and once to give her the script. Thus, Eri was wandering blindly into the biggest challenge of her life.

That was part of the reason she wanted Kagome to join her- if something went wrong, at least Eri could go out with a bang with her friend by her side.

Dust and papers flew everywhere as Eri threw things wildly about trying to find her directors book. She spotted the elusive tome lying on the ground next to the trashcan. She vaguely remembered having thrown it there after Kurika had ticked her off the last time. . .

The book weighed about twice as much as a regular script did, because it was packed full of helpful hints. There were notes on scenery, placing, advertisements, cast qualities, playbooks, even the tickets. In short, the book would be more help to Eri then Kurika could ever hope to be.

Now Eri had the daunting task of picking a passage.

* * *

Kagome yawned as she set down her pencil. Her English class had a preliminary final- the teacher would grade it and review what needed improvement for the real final.

That meant that the class had off the next time they would have the class while the teacher graded the papers. So Kagome would have the day off right after the try-outs. She was looking forward to the break after the most stressful night of her life.

The teacher had already said that they could leave as soon as they were done with the tests, so Kagome shoved her notebook and computer into her bag and left, placing her test on the teacher's desk on the way out. Kagome tried to ignore the ominous fact that she was by far the first to finish the test. English had always been her passion, so she was just better or faster at it then anyone else- right?

Kagome skipped down the hallway on her way to her dorm. She had the rest of the day off to do as she pleased. It wasn't until she saw a clock that she realized that 'the rest of the day' was only about three hours.

She stopped her skipping and pulled her cell phone from the pocket of her computer bag. The number she had to dial was ingrained in her memory, so it was no challenge to punch in the numbers while maneuvering her way through the doors to get outside.

The phone rang about four times before the person on the other end picked up.

"Hello," the person grunted in greeting.

"Hey, Eri, it's Kagome. I just got out of my last class, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and the girls to see a movie and get some dinner."

Eri remained silent for a moment before answering in a much more cheerful voice. "I'd love to. How 'bout we order in some pizza and watch a movie at my house? I just got the movie 'Shinobi'; we could watch that."

A chuckle escaped Kagome. "Are you worried about the tryouts for your pet project, Eri?"

"Why do you ask that?" The puzzlement was evident in her voice.

"Shinobi is essentially a Romeo and Juliet story as well."

Eri sighed. "You could say that I'm nervous, but it would be an understatement. The night off is an excellent idea, Kagome. Even if the others can't come, I'll hang out with you."

"Okay Eri. I'll be at your house around dinner time. You pick something out for us to order. Bye." Eri bade Kagome goodbye as well and Kagome hung up. Eri still lived with her parents. Unlike Kagome, Yuka, and Ayumi, she lived close to the campus. Her parents were also filthy rich, so she had opted to stay in their penthouse suite then move into a dinky dorm room. Not that anyone blamed her.

It was actually convenient- any time they wanted to get off campus to do something, they could hang out at Eri's for free. Since Eri had just got Shinobi Kagome figured that watching a Romeo and Juliet themed movie might psych her up for the tryouts the next day.

She quickly dialed Yuka and Ayumi to invite them. Everyone like the idea, so the plans were set.

Now Kagome just needed to figure out if she wanted to wear sweatpants or something more suited for hanging out in a penthouse. . .

* * *

Kagome eventually decided on wearing her newer pair of sweatpants- they felt comfortable and they still looked good. And thus the four girls spent a long night of fun and movies.

A lot of popcorn was consumed while they watched Shinobi, followed by a few Sailor Moon episodes and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. All of this movie-watching took them to about three in the morning when Eri remembered that try-outs were later that day. So she ordered a lights out so that she could get a decent amount of sleep.

Though a lights out didn't stop Ayumi and Yuka from talking until four, Eri and Kagome were both able to fall asleep for a few hours before morning classes began.

* * *

Eri skipped her morning classes the next day so she could pick out a passage. She still had no idea. She couldn't miss her theatre class in the afternoon, so she was really pressed for time.

The movie the night before had not motivated her in the slightest. Sure, the four friends raised a big hell in the building, but nothing productive happened. Unless productive is prank calling the grumpy neighbors and ordering fifty pizzas for the jerk who kept jamming the elevator. Eri had gotten a good laugh until the cops had shown up and quieted them down. By then the movie was almost over, and none of it had given Eri any tips.

But she still needed to figure out the tryout schedule for that evening; that was the only thing her humongous directors book didn't help with- picking the tryout piece.

She did realize that there would be more girls trying out then men, so she needed to pick a piece for two girls, one for two boys, and the Romeo-Juliet compatibility piece (to show which actors worked best together).

Finding a female piece was not all that difficult. She decided that a good section would be Act 3 Scene 2, from Juliet's line number 41 to line 104, between Juliet and the Nurse. For the guys, She chose a section from Act 1 Scene 4 lines 1 to 57. Now all she needed was to find a passage for the combo. . .

Eri glanced at the clock, realized that she was running late. She also realized that she had missed lunch, but that wasn't important. Maybe if she ran her scene selections past her theatre teacher she could get some good feedback. Considering how her mentor ignored her, feedback from a professional would be a good thing.

* * *

InuYasha growled as he sat in the auditorium with Kouga around 4:45 that evening. His idiot roommate had gotten the time wrong, and they were there half an hour early; auditions didn't start until 5:00, and they had arrived at 4:30. Thankfully, a janitor had let them in, but they were all alone in the empty theater. Strike that- InuYasha was alone. Kouga had fallen asleep.

There was something doodled onto the seat in front of him, so InuYasha leaned closer to figure out what it was. It seemed to be a small picture of a dead body. He smirked and scratched a caption underneath it with his nail- _this is what happens when you watch theater too much_.

Satisfied with his work, InuYasha leaned back and crossed his hands behind his head. He was just about to doze off as well when a door banged in the far end of the room. InuYasha watched as a girl darted in with her arms full of papers. She tripped on a stray cable and swore softly, but InuYasha's ears allowed him to pick it up. He chuckled. The girl collected her papers and moved on to the table, unaware that she was being watched.

She proceeded to organize the papers into piles on the table. Apparently she had some system, but to InuYasha it looked like she was just throwing stuff here and there.

A few minutes later an older man walked in carrying a large black box which he proceeded to set on the table and hook up to all of the cables an the floor. The girl left as the man began to set the microphones up on the stage. The man vanished back behind the curtains, and InuYasha heard a few scratching sounds as the midstage curtains closed all the way then the front curtain closed partway. The man never returned.

The girl returned soon after followed by a strict looking woman. The girl once again tripped over the cables, and the woman looked at her in disdain. The two settled in the chairs behind the table just as Kouga snored and rolled off his chair onto the floor.

"What the hell?" Kouga jumped up as soon as his head hit the ground. "Where am I? Trust me, I don't make a good hostage!" The girl jumped up from the table at his exclamation, and the woman turned around and glared.

InuYasha waved at them before turning to Kouga. "Kouga, chill. You're in the theatre, not kidnapped. Why anybody'd want to kidnap you is beyond me anyway." Kouga slowly relaxed and nodded. He glanced at the women up front, stood up, and went to join them, all without saying a word to InuYasha. It was obvious that Kouga did this kind of thing often.

InuYasha had no choice but to trail after Kouga towards the front. Another door opened somewhere behind him, and InuYasha turned around to find that a small group of girls had wandered in, followed by a few boys. By the time Kouga reached the second row of seats to sit down, InuYasha couldn't even count the number of people in the room anymore.

By 5:05 everyone had sat down and the girl up front was introducing herself as Rukawaii Eri. A few forms were being passed around when the entrance door slammed open again and another girl tried to slink unnoticed to the bottom. She was too far away for InuYasha to see well and she slid into a front row seat and blocked herself from his view.

It was 5:20 when the last personal info paper was returned to the 'Eri' girl who organized them into more piles while the strict woman lectured on how upstanding the arts were. Kouga started falling asleep again, and InuYasha wondered if Kouga could really do his best in this state. It was obvious that he didn't give a rip about the play, and InuYasha was beginning to feel foolish for having come along.

He then had to sit through fifteen minutes worth of men's tryouts before Kouga and his names were called. InuYasha was thankful as he tried to wake Kouga up again; he had been ready to hang himself from the overhead walkways.

"Give me a torch. I am not for this ambling. Being but heavy I will bear the light," Kouga gracefully spoke, adding a few flourishes and arm movements for good measure. Even if he didn't want to be there, he couldn't resist showing off for a few adoring fans.

InuYasha didn't understand the point of what he was doing. It was just him and Kouga up on the stage, reading lines off a paper that had been handed to them. "Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance," InuYasha replied, his tongue tripping over the words as he spoke. The reorganization of the words was just too confusing for him.

He also didn't like how the tryouts seemed rigged. InuYasha didn't know much about culture, but he did know that Romeo was the main character. The paranoid inside him was convinced that Eri, the director, favored Kouga and had given him the easier and better part. InuYasha didn't even realize how irrational the thought was; he just focused on it to keep his mind off the task at hand.

Thankfully they finished quickly, and both traipsed off the stage with everyone watching. Their audience made no noise, and InuYasha didn't know what that meant. Kouga seemed to think that no noise was good noise, so InuYasha just sat down.

Once all the boys had spoken the passage on stage, Eri dismissed them to go find some supper.

* * *

Kagome growled to herself. Eri was very lucky that Kagome hadn't seen InuYasha when she first entered the room, or she would have walked right back out again. On top of that, the idiot had tried out, and he -she hated to admit it- had done very well. Maybe not as good as Kouga, but he had done rather good. Kagome could tell that it was his first time trying out for a play. It made her chuckle.

She, on the other hand, had tried out multiple times before but had not ever gotten a part. She could see herself getting a part now, just because Eri had a hand in casting. Unfortunately, that wasn't how Kagome wanted her performance to be remembered. She wanted to be remembered for being _good_, not for getting in by default.

"Higurashi Kagome and Takeda Kanako, on deck!" The strict woman's voice rang throughout the auditorium. Kagome stood and moved to the stage's stairs along with a tall junior girl. The other girl was chucking nervously, and it was obvious that she didn't want to be there. Kagome gave her an encouraging smile, and they were soon in the spotlight.

Kagome launched right into the part of Juliet, giving Kanako no time to worry. "Aye me, what news? Why dost thou wring thy hands?"

It wasn't long before Kanako fell into her part as well, and the scene progressed smoothly for both of them. Everyone in the audience could tell that Kagome was more comfortable on stage, but Kanako was also very into her part. Eri groaned at the tough decision ahead of her.

Fortunately, Kagome and Kanako were the last two girls. Everyone promptly vacated the auditorium to find some supper. The boys had gotten a substantial head start, but they also ate a lot more. Eri reminded the girls to be back by eight o'clock and went to find Kagome.

The two girls decided to find a different restaurant, just for the night. Eri walked into Mario's Pizza just ahead of Kagome, giggling like mad at the joke Kagome had told. She wasn't watching where she was going, so she ran into the person in front of her before Kagome could tell her to watch out. Eri looked up to apologize and saw that the entire ten foot long line was made up of audition hopefuls. They all looked owlishly at Eri before clambering with bribes and offers.

Kagome laughed and commented that this wasn't the best idea either of them had had all evening. Eri backed up farther to get away from the other people. "Sorry guys," Kagome broke in, "This director is closed for the next half hour so she can eat supper. Leaving her alone will help your chances more then bribing her will." Kagome winked at Eri, to show that she was just kidding. Kagome knew that the auditions didn't work that way. But the others got the message and backed off.

After ordering a large pizza and a pitcher of Pepsi, Kagome and Eri joined a few of their classmates at a table. Everyone joked, pigged out, and had a good time until something landed on Kagome's pizza slice. It was a decent-sized piece of pepperoni. She swung her head around looking for the jerk who had thrown it.

Her search was interrupted when Eri poked her shoulder and pointed back over her own shoulder. Kagome's gaze followed the pointed finger and saw, to her dismay, InuYasha looking at the ceiling with a pointed innocent look on his face. It was plain that the loser had been the pepperoni culprit. She growled.

Eri grabbed the back of Kagome's shirt to prevent her from going over and ripping InuYasha's ears off. "It's not worth the trouble, Kags. Besides, you don't want to give him the satisfaction." Kagome listened to reason and sat back down with a huff. _Thank the kami_, Eri thought. The last think she needed was the deaths of two decent actors. And a public riot, that would be bad too.

So, instead, Kagome sat through the rest of the meal with a tight grimace on her face as small bits of food hit herself and her food. Once in a while another girl would cry out at having been struck, but none of them got up. They just left the restaurant as soon as possible.

Of course, all of the girls who had been on the receiving end of InuYasha's treatment got back to the theatre first. Eri opened the door to the prop department so they could kill some time. That was how everyone else found them: covered in odd clothing and accessories acting out old scenes.

Chaos ensued as all the other girls (and a few theatrical boys) flooded the stage to join the fun. It was almost fifteen minutes before Eri and her supervisor could regain control of the crowd. Not that Eri tried too hard; she was having just as much fun as the rest.

"All right," the strict supervisor glared at the controlled and seated audition hopefuls. "The list for callbacks and partner tryouts is posted on the exit doors. Please consult these lists now. If your name is not on one, you may leave, but that does not mean that you did not get a part. Understood?"

The students nodded in chastised awe. Not one word was spoken until the first few reached the lists- shouts of joy and disappointment ensued.

"InuYasha, man, don't feel bad if you didn't get anything," Kouga commented as they waited in the back of the crowd. "Nobody gets a part their first time."

InuYasha grunted. He was entirely disappointed that the girls hadn't reacted to his pizza throwing in the restaurant. He just wanted to go back to his hotel room, lock Kouga out, and go to sleep. Why had he let Kouga talk him into trying this anyway? The whole idea was stupid.

Lost in his thoughts, InuYasha stayed behind as Kouga went up to check the paper.

"InuYasha," Kouga returned and stated with awe, "You're on the list!"

"Huh?" InuYasha responded. "You're joking, Kouga, I STINK at acting. Were you on the list?"

"Naw, but you know I'm a shoe-in for the lead. Nobody else here has my kind of acting resume. I'm not worried. Heck that means I get to go home before you." Kouga laughed and sped out the door without another word.

"_Great_," InuYasha grumbled. The last thing he wanted to do was sit here for callbacks himself. The only other person he knew was Kagome, and he'd rather die before sitting anywhere near her again.

He trudged towards a seat in the fourth row, far away from everyone else. The list said that he was in group D, so he had a while before he had to stand up on stage. Although, he had no idea why he made the callback list, because he was pretty sure -strike that, he _knew_- that he sucked at acting. InuYasha settled himself into his new seat and dozed off, knowing he would wake up when group D was called.

"I repeat, GROUP D up on stage NOW!!" InuYasha woke up to the shouting voice of the strict old drama teacher and jolted right out of his seat and on to the floor. Growling a little to himself, InuYasha trudged up to the stage to get the worst over with.

* * *

Eri sighed as her instructor yelled again. The woman's current bright idea was to have Eri not look at any of the auditionees, only listen to their stage voices and vocal chemistry. Never mind what they actually looked like together. So Eri was sitting with her back to the stage while her teacher handed out the scripts to group D.

She hummed as the current 'Romeo' and 'Juliet' began their lines. They seemed a little hesitant, like they would rather be elsewhere. She thought this was odd, because most people who try out actually want a part. Eri relaxed as the two decided to read with confidence and acted more civil to each other.

The other people on stage added their parts, and everything came together. Eri had no idea who they were, but they all sounded great together. She would have a hard time picking roles for this play for sure.

Group D finished with their reading and the other auditionees in the audience exploded into applause for the terrific job. Eri, unable to resist finding out who was so good, turned around.

And her jaw dropped.

**

* * *

HaHa, a cliffie! First (and probably only, but don't quote me) of this story.**

**Originally, tryouts were supposed to be next chapter, but then I realized- students would go home after their finals, so tryouts would have to come first. So here they are.**

**If anybody has a cool idea for a Kag-Inu fight, send it in! Make it creative or make it realistic; just make it fun.**

**Thanks to MyInuYashaObsession who reviewed the first for the past chapter! Ironically similar names there. . . Thanks to all my other reviewers as well::Hugs you all::**


	7. Act II Scene 2

**Disclaimer: Takahashi Rumiko and VIZ own InuYasha. (so do a few other random people- none of which are related to me in any way)**

**And because I keep forgetting to do this: Thank you Amaya Mishugosha for beta reading this (and every other chapter)!! She says that you can blame some of this chapter's lateness on her. . But don't, she was on vacation.**

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**by MyImaginaryInuYasha**

**Less than enthusiastic response to that last chapter. . . **

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"Ooof!" Eri let out a whoosh of air as she plopped down on a beanbag chair in one of the college's common rooms. This one was decorated in a stereotypical American 'hippie' fashion; beanbag chairs, tye-dye, beads and incense. It was a very tranquil place to hang out, and it lacked the loud games and TVs that the other rooms boasted.

The group chuckled at their friend's less-then-proper method to sitting down. The whole group, encompassing Eri, Kagome, Yuka, and Ayumi, were sprawled on beanbag chairs in the corner of the room. They were comparing final times and how they thought they did.

Yuka was the lucky one. She was there taking cooking classes from the tech department so she didn't have any finals to take at all. She just had to produce a meal from scratch, similar to the "Iron Chef" television show from America. Yuka planned on owning a restaurant, so she was going to take some business classes in the upcoming semester.

Eri was also pretty lucky; most of her classes were all-year drama classes. Her midterms in those were various types of plays to be presented or written. She did have finals in Advanced Japanese and Cultural Theory, but she had just finished those not even an hour before plopping in the beanbag.

Even Ayumi had it pretty easy. She was majoring in Music Education, but had only four finals in her fall semester.

Kagome, on the other hand, had all of her hardest classes in the fall. While her friends were joking and planning what to do over winter break, Kagome was furiously cramming from an astonishing array of textbooks and three-ring binders. She had to take a total of eight finals, because two of her classes gave multiple tests. For example, her major English class had a answer test (which Kagome had taken earlier) and an analysis test.

"So, Eri, how were your casting days? That was a week ago, did you pick the roles yet?" Ayumi questioned from her position on a stack of shag carpet squares. Kagome unconsciously tuned in, to listen for insider info.

"HA!" Eri coughed to cover up her sarcastic laughter. "I spent all week pouring over my notes, and I can't come up with any pair that would be perfect for the leads. The rest of the characters will be easy after I pick the leads."

"So who are you thinking of picking?" Yuka chimed in.

"Sorry," Eri smirked, "I can't tell you. The list will be up as soon as we get back from break. I'm gonna have to spend all break figuring this out." The rest of the group sighed in defeat. "I will tell you, however, that the leads are sure going to give the show quite a bang."

Kagome sighed again and turned back to her notes.

* * *

"ARGGH!" Kouga heard a scream and a loud smashing noise as he neared his room. Fearing the worst, he peeked in. InuYasha sat in the middle of the floor as note cards and book pages drifted down around him like large snowflakes. The destroyed textbook was embedded in a desk lamp that had been knocked on to the floor.

He made a small gasping sound at the destruction and InuYasha whirled around to see who dared disturb him. "Kouga! Come here so I can kill you and take your place!"

Kouga just raised an eyebrow. However, he made no move to enter the room. "InuYasha, what happened in here? Did that book decide to attack?" He chuckled at his own joke then muttered under his breath, "And I want you to replace that lamp."

"NO, the book did not attack me. Jerk. I just got angry at the stupid thing. Why does it have to have so much information anyway? Less info would be easier to cram." InuYasha growled at the offending text. He was sick of cramming for all of his finals. Unfortunately, he didn't study at all during the semester. He waited until the night before. "And I am not paying for a new lamp. The thing was ugly anyway."

"Dude, it's your own fault for waiting until the last minute," Kouga preached, "Now if you don't mind, I would like to get to bed early. I studied all semester and want a good night's sleep before my finals. So clear out of this room if you want to keep being loud." To emphasize his point, Kouga threw InuYasha's messenger bag into the hallway along with all of the hanyou's notebooks and textbooks. Kouga then plopped onto his bed and glared at InuYasha.

To his credit, InuYasha only slammed the door hard enough to knock a picture off the wall.

* * *

After another hour of goofing around with the girls but getting no studying done, Kagome excused herself to find a computer lounge that had a free computer. She wandered across the common area to the student building, noting that it had begun to snow again.

Cursing her lack of a coat and all of the junk she had to take with her, Kagome kicked the door to the building open. She ignored the indignant "hold it open, would ya?" of the person behind her and trudged to the smallest computer lounge, farthest from the front door.

Whomever was behind her reached the glass windows of the room at the same time she did. They both saw that there was only one computer left open, and an impromptu dash began.

Kagome reached the door and threw it open first, but her pursuer darted in around her an all but jumped into the empty chair. Kagome was unable to stop in time, so she crashed into the chair, tripped over her feet, and went sprawling into the lap of the other person.

"Hey!" A masculine voice responded to her not-so-graceful landing. Kagome looked up to see who she had the misfortune of landing on. Both people dropped any other thoughts in favor of an immense glare of hatred.

Kagome spoke first as she stood off and brushed imaginary dust off her shirt. "As much as I would love to put you in your place, InuYasha, I have work to do. I'm sure you do as well, because everyone has finals to do. Well, except my lucky friends." She broke off her speech in favor of grumbling about her friends.

"Okay, _wench_, I agree. You just go find another computer to complain about your friends and leave me alone. Both of us would get more work done that way." InuYasha didn't ever spare her a glance as he opened his electronic notes files and textbooks.

They regarded each other in silence for a moment, each waiting for the other's reaction. Finally, Kagome realized that she should take advantage of the time of peace. "Hey, InuYasha?"

He grunted in reply. Kagome took that as a signal to continue.

"I was thinking. I know that there's no guarantee that either of us got a part, but, do you think we could both find some way to still be involved in the play? If I don't get a part, I'll probably do makeup of costuming," Kagome suggested in a neutral tone. InuYasha groaned to himself as he heard the idea of him coming near makeup, but Kagome continued. "I'm sure that there is something within your abilities. Maybe you can help with scenery. Or prompting. Wait. . . Okay, not prompting," Kagome chuckled at the idea of InuYasha screaming lines at forgetful actors, "but you can help build or paint scenery, or make some props. Either way, we won't have to look at each other, but we'll be active members of the same club."

InuYasha looked at Kagome's hopeful expression. She had the same point as Kouga, and she was right. If he did scenery and she did makeup, they wouldn't have to see each other at all. "Perfect," He concluded aloud. Kagome gave him an award-winning smile and left to find another computer room without fuss. He stared after her, almost believing the computer was booby-trapped because he got off so easy. Shrugging, InuYasha turned back to his computer.

* * *

"I'M FREE!" Kagome screamed along with about thirty other students as they dashed out of their last final of the day- the dreaded English Analysis Final. "Winter break, here I come!" She added for good measure. She dashed back to her hotel room to get everything packed up. The dorm building was finally cleaned up after the sprinkler fiasco, so she needed to move all her stuff back before she could leave for home. Sango was there already, so between the two of them and a cab, all of their junk was back in the dorm in under two hours.

"Bye, Kagome! See you in a month!" Sango called as the two parted ways: Kagome to her mom's car, and Sango to the student parking lot to meet her other friends.

"No, I'll call you and we'll meet up some time. We don't talk enough as it is," Kagome yelled back as she loaded her holiday pack into the car.

She slid into the front seat and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. "Hi, mama. How have you been?"

Her mother smiled. "How have I been, dear, the question is, how have you been? And nothing about that horrible boy who keeps getting you blamed for his blunders. I read all about them in the newspapers."

"Well, mama, other then the standard school, there isn't much in my life that doesn't involve him." Kagome sighed and prepared for her mother's outburst.

"WHAT?" The car swerved on the road as her mother yelled. "I told you, that family is bad news- I want you to stay away from them!"

"Hai, mama, but Dean Tanaka has decided that we need to 'work together' to try and get over the hate we have. She is making us join a club together. I've worked it out that we both join Eri's Shakespearean Drama Club- him on scenery, me on costumes and makeup. Then we fill Dean Tanaka's requirements but we don't have to look at each other."

Her mother remained silent for the rest of the drive, and Kagome lapsed into silence as well.

* * *

Snow crunched under the tires as Mrs. Higurashi's car climbed the steep driveway to their house. She was one of the only Higurashis that did not live in the gigantic mansion complex on the outskirts of Tokyo or the penthouse apartments in the center of the city. She lived with her father, who was not a Higurashi. This caused the family to ignore her a bit, but she didn't care.

She had married the heir of the Higurashi family when she was fresh out of college. He had been a wonderful man, three years older then herself, and his high status in the city hadn't turned his head at all. He had been killed by a band of Nakamura demons in a riot that encompassed half the city when Kagome was only five years old. This caused Mrs. Higurashi to hate the Nakamuras with a passion, and even though she didn't live with the Higurashi clan, she raised her two children to hate demons and the Nakamuras in particular.

The car skidded to a stop on the icy driveway. A hunched old figure carrying an umbrella appeared out of the falling snow. "Jii-chan!" Kagome bounded out the door and into her grandfather's free arm. "I've missed you!"

"Ah, Kagome my dear," the old man began, but Kagome had already bolted past him into the shrine's courtyard. The old man smiled; his granddaughter loved living in the old, open shrine instead of a stuffy mansion.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her daughter's retreating back. "Dad, will you help me carry her bags in? I don't think she'll be back to get them."

The old man grumbled about lazy children and his old bones, but he complied.

Kagome dashed into the house, shed her coat and shoes, donned slippers, and raced into the living room with record time. "Hey, brat," she patted her brother on the head. He only grunted in reply; eyes glued to the television and his videogame. "Hi Buyo!" Kagome chirped as she lifted the fat cat off a chair and plopped down, "Ahh, it's good to be home!"

* * *

"Aww, man!" InuYasha banged on the door of the dorm building once more for good measure. He had left his last final and gone to help his brother pack up the car. Now, back to get his own things, InuYasha found the dorm door already locked for the winter break. "Shit!" He swore and kicked the door in frustration.

"Trouble, little brother?" SesshouMaru stalked up behind the fuming InuYasha.

"No. Lets just go." InuYasha flung himself in a circle and stormed back to the parking lot. SesshouMaru cast one final blandly amused look at the door and followed.

The two sat in silence for most of the ride to SesshouMaru's mansion. SesshouMaru had lived there for over two hundred years, and it had continued to expand since its construction. It now covered most of a small hill outside the city, even though most of the rooms were vacant and locked.

"So," InuYasha glared, "Are you going to let me stay with you this time, or are you sending me back to someone else's house like you did every winter and spring break when I was in boarding school?"

SesshouMaru stared at the road ahead of him, and didn't act like he had heard. InuYasha was used to this tactic, and he waited in silence.

"Which would you prefer, little brother?"

InuYasha gave this some thought. Live with relatives who hated everything about him, or live with his brother, who hated his existence as well. What a decision. "I will stay at your mansion. At least there, I have a room that I can call my own," he grumbled. Under his breath he added, "And a door that I can lock."

His elder brother picked up on the last statement, but did not comment. The two rode in silence once again.

"SesshouMaru, you never told me, no matter how many times I ask," InuYasha broke the silence, almost half-interested in what he was asking. "Why are you back in college again? Aren't your degrees in Anthropology, European History, and Foreign Relations enough for you? Why go back and take another four years in Foreign Politics?" InuYasha chuckled at his wit, "Is it because you are too pathetic to do anything besides study? Is that why your business collapsed after the war?"

The car almost swerved off the road after the last statement. "_Little brother_," SesshouMaru ground out in a rare display of anger. "There are things you do not know, believe it or not. I returned to college to renew my degree, because one must do these things if the original degree is over fifty years old. I need both Foreign Politics and Foreign Relations for the job I have been after in the government. And," he added as an afterthought, "my business collapsed because of poor worker quality and cut funding. Nothing I could have prevented."

InuYasha remained silent, in awe that SesshouMaru had bothered to explain and in fear of what would happen in he pushed SesshouMaru's limit too far.

The car screeched to a stop in front of the mansion and the two men got out. SesshouMaru tossed the keys to a butler, who drove the car to the garage. Once inside, he pointed down a hallway to the left. "That wing is yours, little brother. It has your room, the game room, and the pool. Your meals will be brought to you at seven am, noon, and six pm. I do not want to see you until it is time for us to return to school." Without waiting for an answer, SesshouMaru turned and stalked away to the right.

InuYasha smirked as he picked up his bag and headed towards his room. He'd make sure that SesshouMaru wouldn't see him, but his brother had not said anything about _hearing_ him.

The first thing InuYasha did in his room was crank up the volume on his stereo and insert a CD. Time for the fun.

* * *

On the other side of the mansion, behind his desk, SesshouMaru's hands clenched as loud music pulsed through the building. He made an internal bet if it would be hours or days before he just murdered his brother.

_I lost_, he though as he stood up and walked out the door of his study. _It will only be minutes_.

* * *

Kagome lounged on her chair, watching a movie with her cat until midnight that night. As the credits rolled, she stood up, stretched, and followed as Buyo bounded up the stairs to her room. She snuggled into the covers of her old bed and marveled how, after all this time, her bed still felt more like home then the bed in her dorm.

The sun rose and peeked into Kagome's bedroom at seven the next morning. She slowly stretched and smiled, remembering what day it was. Christmas eve! The Higurashis were devout Buddhists, like most of Japan, but her grandmother had been a Christian, as was her mother before she married. Her mother had converted, but was simply unable to give up the tradition of giving gifts to her loved ones in December. So Kagome was excited for the gifts she would receive the next morning, but also for the ones she planned to give to her friends and relatives whom they would visit the next day.

Kagome bounded out of bed to start wrapping all of her gifts. She had a designer scarf for Ayumi that was covered in small cats and rabbits, with a matching hat and gloves. Eri was receiving a megaphone, for drama club practice, and a small snow globe with a picture of the four friends inside. For Yuka, Kagome had a gift card for a cooking supply store and a picture of a messy kitchen that said 'If you don't like the way my kitchen looks, then close your eyes and leave' printed on it.

Once the wrapping was done, Kagome tied a red ribbon around Buyo's neck and bounded down the stairs to greet her family for lunch.

"Ohayo gozaimasu!" She chirped, "What's for lunch, and what needs to be done?"

Her mother smiled. "Well aren't you in a productive mood this morning. That's good. We're having a simple soup for lunch, and then we all need to go out and shovel the shrine pathways."

Kagome's smile faltered. "Alright. Lets get started." She grumbled to herself as she slurped her warm tomato soup and picked up a shovel.

Six hours of intense shoveling and cleaning later, Kagome, her mother, brother, and grandfather traipsed in out of the cold. "Dibs on the first hot chocolate!" Souta called as he dashed into the kitchen to fill a glass with water to heat. Kagome followed in suit, leaving her mother to put away all of their snow clothing. Their grandfather just turned around to go back to the shrine to pray.

"Mama," Kagome asked that evening, "what all are we going to do over break? Are we going anywhere?"

"Kagome, why do you ask?" Her mother replied, "We haven't seen you since August, why do you want to leave? I was planning on just staying here and enjoying the time with you."

Kagome responded with a strained smile.

* * *

Contrary to what her mother said that evening, Kagome's winter break flew by in a blur of fun and activity. She received many wonderful gifts on Christmas day, and everyone she gave a gift to appreciated it immensely.

Kagome spent most of her break watching TV with her cat while preparing for her upcoming classes. She went to a ski resort with Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka for a week, and went ice skating with Sango once. She also visited the movie theatre a few times with her friends and once with her ex-boyfriend, Hojo, who had come back from school in Okinawa for his break.

Her mother also dragged her and Souta to visit the rest of the Higurashi family once for a weekend. The aunts doted on Souta, saying how he had grown so much, and everyone marveled at Kagome's lack of a boyfriend. She was the heir of the Higurashi line, and the clan was very concerned over her lack of relationship. At first, they tried to convince her to take Hojo back because he was a good boy from a respected family. After she harshly declined, Kagome spent the rest of her break dodging blind dates set up by her relatives.

She was a very unhappy person as she prepared to return to school.

* * *

InuYasha, on the other hand, spent his entire break goofing off, annoying his brother, and praying to his family's neglected kami. Not once did he appear in SesshouMaru's vision, but he did make sure that SesshouMaru could almost always hear some sort of annoying noise from his wing of the building.

He completely enjoyed his break and was very unhappy to have to pack back up and see SesshouMaru again to go back.

**

* * *

**

**Just a side note: I've begun posting this on MediaMiner, under the name of 'LArcEnCielChick' **(also my aol screen name, so drop me a line if you want! I'd love to hear from you!)**, so LArcEnCielChick is not stealing my stuff, 'cuz we're the same person.**

**I need some of my readers to suggest really good stories for me to check out. Your own, or one(s) you've found. I'm having trouble finding good ones recently. If I love it, I'll recommend it in an A/N. **(Let me know if it's yours, and I'll be sure to review)

**Last call for anyone who wants to suggest a fight idea!! (I will give you credit for the idea!)**

**Please review!**


	8. Act II Scene 3

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and co. belong to Takahashi Rumiko, VIZ, and whoever else needs to boss him around. I do not get to boss him around (not enough strength and he won't listen), so I do not own him.**

**Thank you Amaya Mishugosha for beta reading this too. (two at once, rough time .)**

**The Last Thing I Need**

**by MyImaginaryInuYasha**

**Act II Scene 3**

* * *

Kagome trudged back up to her dorm room under a large load of presents and old and new items for her dorm room. The door banged on the wall as she opened it with more force then necessary. However, Kagome stopped short in the doorway when she heard an odd sound coming from within. It sounded like crying, but she was unable to see around the pile of stuff in her arms. 

"Sango?" Kagome called with apprehension.

More sobbing ensued.

"Sango, are you okay?" Once again, no answer, but it was obvious that Sango was somehow not okay.

Kagome quickly dumped her pile on her bed and moved towards where Sango was bent double on her own bed. She sat down next to Sango and pulled the sobbing girl into a one-armed hug.

"Shhh. . . What's wrong, Sango?"

"He. . He. . B-b-b-bro-ooh-" Sango wailed and collapsed into sobs again.

Kagome tightened her hug, knowing what Sango was trying to say. "Sango, calm down. It's okay. Just let it out."

Sango nodded, turned into Kagome's hug, and continued crying.

Almost ten minutes later Sango's sobs had turned into hiccups. "Alright, Sango, now would you like to tell me what happened?" Kagome felt like they had switched roles- she was the older girl trying to calm down her younger friend, instead of the other way around.

"K-Kagome. . I came back to the dorm, and I found a letter in my mailbox. It came a week before break, but I hadn't checked it until now. ." She hiccupped again. "It was from my boyfriend, and he-he. . Just read it for yourself!" Sango thrust a piece of crumpled paper in Kagome's lap and burst into tears again. Kagome picked up the paper and read:

_Dearest Kanako,_

_How are you, sweetheart? It's been a long time since we were on that vacation together. Though, even a month is a long time without you._

_I think we need to get together again- that trip to the Caribbean was a ton of fun. Snorkeling in a reef, skinny-dipping in the moonlight; we have to try it again sometime. How about New Zealand next summer? Or Europe?_

_I love you so much babe! Come up to my parent's estate over your winter break, we'll have a good time!_

_Your lover,_

_Hiromatsu_

"Ohh," Kagome gaped at the letter. "This is the same Hiromatsu that you have been dating for that last three years?" Sango hiccupped and nodded. "That's terrible! Get back at the jerk!"

Sango looked somewhat startled that Kagome suggested that she react in a more vengeful fashion. A light went on in her eyes as she realized that she could go after revenge. The tears stopped immediately and she jumped off the bed and stormed over to the phone. She nearly broke the dial buttons as she pounded them in a memorized sequence.

Kagome watched as she let it ring. After a pause Sango said, as if in explanation, "Answering machine."

Suddenly Sango snapped on a glare and yelled into the phone, "YOU BASTARD! Hiromatsu, what the hell were you doing? did you think you could get away with two-timing me!? You can't! You mailed that Kanako-slut's letter to me- I know that you weren't really on a research trip last summer! Well, screw you! We're through- I can't abide a lying asshole!" She slammed the phone down as Kagome stared. Sango could be very scary when she was angry.

Sango smiled as her tears dried on her face, "That felt good, actually." Kagome gave her a hug and suggested that they go and get a couple of coffees. And ice cream.

* * *

InuYasha banged his way into his dorm room. He did this the same way he did everything else when he was angry- in a thick storm of fury. He took one look at Kouga, who was already in the room, standing and reading something, and screamed while slapping his hang over his eyes. "Kouga! What the hell are you doing? And what's with the tights? My eyes just shriveled up and died at the sight!" He backed away slowly, only to bump into the wall. 

Kouga laughed. "InuYasha, I'm only practicing for my part. Tights are part of the costume, and I like to get into character."

Against the wall, InuYasha didn't respond.

"InuYasha?" Kouga inquired.

InuYasha let out a noise that sounded like a grunt. "Cover up, idiot," he finally ground out, sounding like a deflating balloon. Kouga chuckled again and complied.

"Are you sure that's the only reason you're uncomfortable?" Kouga teased, "Or is it because you want the part of Romeo yourself?"

"Keh." InuYasha crossed his arms and snorted. He didn't want to admit it, but he didn't like losing something, even if it was something he didn't want in the first place. And telling Kouga that he was jealous was even worse. "I don't care, buffoon, just stay covered when I'm in the room. I don't need to see that."

The two glared at each other in an awkward silence for a few minutes.

"So, do you know when the cast list is posted?" InuYasha finally gave in.

Kouga thought a moment. "I think it's posted the first day of classes, two days from now. The director lives off campus, that's the first time she'll be here."

With that, Kouga left to find some other place to practice, a place where he could dress the part in peace.

InuYasha threw himself down on the bed and sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. This time, it was SesshouMaru's fault.

SesshouMaru had taken his revenge for all of InuYasha's noise by just leaving for the college without telling InuYasha. So, InuYasha had to pay about 90,000 yen to take a taxi from the mansion to the school. Pocket change to someone from a rich clan, but it was the point of the matter- it was needless spending!

Speaking of which, InuYasha bolted from the bed and headed towards the door; he still had a brother to murder.

* * *

The next day, Kagome awakened to a phone ringing. It was playing the English song 'Smile' by Lily Allen at a volume that could wake the whole floor. 

"Hello?" Sango's voice rang out in the void of Kagome's half-sleep.

"Oh. Hello, Hiromatsu," disgust was dripping from Sango's voice. "So, you got my message, did you? Well," a pause, "I don't want to hear it, you bastard!" Pause. "No, I'm not forgiving you, you asshole! You spent the last year -or more- fucking around with some whore! And you claim to be sorry!" Pause. "No, Hiromatsu, go screw yourself. And don't call me again." With that, Sango snapped her phone shut and threw it across the room.

Kagome, who was wide awake by now, noticed the tears brimming in Sango's eyes. She got up to give her room mate a hug. "Don't waste anymore tears crying over that pig, okay?"

Sango sniffed and smiled. "Thanks, Kagome."

The tense mood broken, Kagome commented, "So, you changed his personal ring tone already? I should call him and tell him to feel honored."

Sango just laughed.

* * *

The following morning, the first day of classes, the entire group of drama club hopefuls crowded into the main entrance. They were all waiting for Eri to post the much anticipated cast list. 

Eri, of course, was late.

InuYasha stood with Kouga off to the side. They were on the side because Kouga felt he had the lead in the bag and didn't need to see the list and InuYasha didn't want to show off his black eye and bruises from his fight with his brother.

The people on the other side of the small mob began to gather around one spot, and the clamor followed Eri's path across the hallway. She silently opened the glass case, tacked a piece of paper on the theater wing's bulletin board, re-locked the case, and entered one of the classrooms.

Kouga just hung in the back of the crowd, smirking. InuYasha leaned on the wall opposite the bulletin board, looking bored. Groans and cheers were heard as people discovered the role they received, or learned that they weren't in the play. Slowly the mass of people cleared, and Kouga stalked up to the cast list, glowing with confidence.

"WHAT!?!" His scream could be heard all over campus, and it echoed across downtown Tokyo. The shout masked the door opening and closing again, and nobody in the hallway noticed the new person in the crowd. Giving no other comment, he stormed into the room Eri had entered earlier. InuYasha smirked, not caring why Kouga was upset. He also sauntered up to the paper, not expecting to get a part, just to see who had the misfortune of being a lead.

As InuYasha bent down to see the paper clearer, his head collided with that of another person. Slightly dazed, InuYasha sat down hard on the ground as a feminine version of Kouga's yell echoed around campus again, "WHAT?!?"

InuYasha looked up into the deep glare of Higurashi Kagome. "You, what did you do?" Kagome fumed, "Heck, what did I do to make Eri hate me this much?"

At the confused look on InuYasha's face, Kagome jabbed her finger at the hanging paper. Juliet:, he read under her finger, Higurashi Kagome. Understudy: Hibikua Ayame. "What's so wrong with that, wench?" InuYasha puzzled, "You got the main part."

In response, Kagome jabbed her finger at the paper again, too angry to speak the horror herself. InuYasha now read, Romeo: Nakamura InuYasha. Understudy: Onaku Kouga. _What's wrong with_- InuYasha's confusion was cut off as he realized what he was reading.

He was starring (of all things) in one of the most well-known romantic tragedies with his arch-nemesis.

He was about to yell at Kagome, the paper, the drama wing, Shakespeare, anyone who could feel his wrath when a door flew open and Kouga tumbled out.

"Furthermore, Onaku, my advisor finalized the list! I do not hate you in particular. If it was up to me, that list would be different! MUCH different!! Now bugger off! Someone who has as much experience as you should know that these things aren't changed except for actor death! Suck it up and deal!" The door slammed shut in Kouga's face.

Kagome smiled at her friend's defense of her list. Eri was stubborn enough to keep that list -even if she hated it- even if it meant raising the dead.

Kouga picked himself off the floor, dusted his clothing, and gave Kagome a smile. Completely ignoring InuYasha, Kouga gave Kagome a hug and congratulated her on her role. He also said that he felt bad for her, starring with a mutt who had no acting experience. That was all he said, because InuYasha pummeled him and dragged his unconscious body away.

Kagome recalled that she wanted to know why he was all black and blue. She figured she'd have time to ask later.

* * *

The next three days were very uncharacteristic for Eri. So many people were questioning her judgment that she was beginning to wonder if she made the right choice. 

She knew that InuYasha and Kagome hated each other, but she also knew that they were both spectacular in tryouts. Well, maybe not spectacular. Kagome wasn't the best actress in the world, but she was willing to learn and she was nice to everyone, not just her superiors. InuYasha, on the other hand, was rude to just about everyone, but Eri's supervisor said that that could be ironed out of him.

And even though they hated each other, they managed to perform together as if they had no problems. So Eri, her teacher, and her supervisor green-lighted it.

Now she was receiving letters and phone calls saying that it was a mistake, that she should change it, that those two would destroy the school in a situation like that.

She banged her fist on her desk. She was a firm person, damnit! Not someone who would just change something like that because others didn't like it.

So she decided- it would stay because she wanted to prove everyone else wrong.

* * *

"Mama, You'd never guess what happened," Kagome grumbled into the phone that evening. "Remember Eri's pet project? The play? Well, the cast list was posted today." 

"Yes, mama, I'm in the play," Kagome responded to her mother's question. "And, oooh, mama, I got the lead! I'm going to be Juliet!" Kagome's excitement was contagious, and her mother enthusiastically congratulated her. "But mama, there's a problem. Eri cast the younger Nakamura boy in the lead. You know, InuYasha."

Kagome had to hold the phone far away from her ear because of how loud her mother was yelling. "_Kagome! Talk to Eri and get that changed. I do not want you anywhere near that boy!!_"

"Hai, mama. But I don't know; Eri doesn't like to admit she's wrong. I promise to stay far away from him, though."

With that agreement, Kagome bade farewell and hung up the phone. _Why do I fell like this is not going to work?_ She pondered. Her life couldn't be that easy no matter what happened.

* * *

Kagome returned to her dorm room four days later to find a fuming Sango with tears running down her face. 

"Hiromatsu came and tried to get me back," Sango half sniffed half fumed. "He just showed up at our door. I don't know how he got in here. . . And he refused to leave! I had to pound him and physically kick him out of the building before he gave up," she clenched her fist in emphasis. "The jerk had the nerve to claim that he wasn't seeing that Kanako girl, and that the letter was from some other guy. That's why I kicked him extra hard. He won't be back again." Sango smiled.

Kagome gave her two thumbs up and smiled back. "Good."

_Now only if everything else could be that simple. . ._

* * *

**Sango has quite the potty mouth, doesn't she? Haha, I may have to up the rating because of her. . . . I wrote the phone convo when I was really pissed off because (a la Ed Elrich) 'people keep jerking me around' (aka, my so-called BFF and just about everyone else I know).**

**PLEASE send me stories that you recommend for me to read!! **

**Wow! Two chapters so fast! Even if this one's shorter, they still came out right on top of each other! Review please! (PS- I'm going to the beach for a week- I would LOVE to come back to an inbox full of reviews!!!)**


	9. Act II Scene 4

**Disclaimer: InuYasha & co. are the property of Takahashi Rumiko and VIZ, as well as some other people. I am not one of them, I just borrow the characters to write stories.**

**Thank you Amaya for beta reading this chapter as well.**

**The Last Thing I Need**

**MyImaginaryInuYasha**

**Act II Scene 4**

* * *

"But Eri, please!" Kagome was begging and pleading with her 'friend'. "My family will murder me! Give the part or both to the understudies. Please, do not make me do this!" The two girls were sitting in Kagome's dorm room early Sunday morning, five days after the list went up.

Eri did feel bad for her friend, she really did, but Kagome shouldn't receive special treatment just because of their friendship. But she could always blame her mentor for the problem. "I'm sorry, Kagome, but Kurika told me that I can't change the cast list unless someone dies. Both you and InuYasha are still very much so alive. Besides, you'll bring the element of real hate into the play. And who knows, maybe you'll fall in love by the end as well."

"Urg! Eri! NO!" Kagome shrieked. That was the last thing she needed right now. "Fine, I'll do this, but I want you to make sure that he is kept as far away from me as possible."

"Yes, ma'am," Eri replied, snapping into a salute. Kagome only grumbled in reply.

The two sat in silence for a while.

"So," Kagome began, "does this 'nobody gets special treatment' thing mean that we aren't friends for the next few months?"

Eri favored her with a deadpan look and a sigh. "You really love to make my life difficult, don't you, Kagome?"

"I only return the favor," Kagome smiled back. She stuck her tongue out at her friend and whacked her with a pillow. Eri responded with a pillow of her own, and a short but intense battle ensued.

It ended only when the door flew open and a drunk Sango stumbled in. The two younger girls gaped as Sango collapsed on her bed, clothed in the same outfit she had worn the day before. Eri squeaked a quick 'bye' and scurried out the door before she was forced to help in some way.

Kagome was left there to stare at her now sleeping roommate. _I bet a billion yen that this is because of her broken heart over Hiromatsu_, Kagome thought. _And I think the best way to solve that is...Find her a new guy! I'll introduce her to some new people. Maybe a new friend is all she needs_, She began plotting. First on her list of new guys were Kouga and Miroku. Both single, both nice, both mostly pleasant. Their only drawback was InuYasha. But Sango was what mattered, not some idiot.

So Kagome began planning her not-so-coincidental introduction.­

* * *

Meanwhile, similar get out of acting thoughts were coursing through InuYasha's head. He was beginning to panic; practices started in a few days and he still needed to get out of starring with his nemesis.

Why was his life so much harder then everyone else's?

At least it was unlikely that SesshouMaru would ever learn that InuYasha was in the play. A person with no expression and little emotion, SesshouMaru avoided the theater building like the plague. Not that SesshouMaru would fear the plague, but he avoided it.

If SesshouMaru found out, it would probably end in someone's blood being spilled. That was SesshouMaru's favorite pastime, killing or injuring Higurashis. As long as SesshouMaru stayed away, they all would be okay.

Heck, as long as none of his family found out, he wouldn't mind starring in a play with Kagome. As he had admitted to himself earlier, she was a hot girl. It was just her name that prevented anything.

"Hey Kouga," InuYasha called across the dorm room to his roommate. Kouga was lying on his bed, looking very depressed.

"Kouga!" InuYasha called again, and threw a sock at the other boy.

A muffled complaint issued out from under the blankets on Kouga's side of the room.

"Kouga, are you still upset over my beating you?" InuYasha's disposition cleared greatly when he reminded himself that he had beaten Kouga. "Because that would be very wimpy of you. Besides, you can have my part if you want it that badly. But I thought you hated acting. . ?"

Kouga grumbled again and shoved his blankets out of the way. "I asked about that already. That 'Eri' girl is more stubborn then you, InuYasha. She refused to allow me to switch."

"You asked her this before asking me?!" InuYasha cried, "Maybe I wanted that role!"

"Really?" Kouga raised an eyebrow, "A minute ago you were offering me the part yourself. I just skipped a step."

"Keh."

"You know, it's a good thing that you can't back out now," Kouga began, baiting InuYasha to follow.

"Why?"

"Because. If you back out and forget your deal with Tanaka, you may get kicked out of school. As much as I would benefit form that," Kouga adopted a dramatic air, "I will keep your best interests at heart. So you need to stay in the play."

"Gee, thank you Kouga, you are the nicest person I know," InuYasha's voice was dripping sarcasm.

"You're welcome." With that, Kouga went back to bed for a few more hours. InuYasha was left feeling less like doing the play then ever.

* * *

"Hey, Miroku?" Kagome almost oozed up to the unexpecting boy, exuding an air of sickening sweetness. "I have a question for you."

Miroku did his best to smile; despite how scared he was of the way Kagome was acting. Not only that, but InuYasha would murder him if he found out. "What is it, Kagome-chan?"

"How come you don't have a girlfriend?"

Whatever Miroku was expecting, it wasn't that. "Pardon me?"

Kagome sighed. She had his attention, so she didn't need to keep up the act. "I said, why do you not have a girlfriend? You could probably get any girl you wanted. So why don't you have one?"

"Oh, um," Miroku tried to stall. He really didn't have a good answer. "Because I'm just waiting for the right one, I guess."

Kagome quirked an eyebrow.

"That, and the underclassmen girls are too nervous to go near me."

_Now is that because of your womanizing, or is it because they're that intimidated of you_, Kagome pondered. "Well," she said aloud, "did you every think of trying a girl in your own grade?"

Miroku tapped his chin in thought. No, he had only asked out one girl in his grade, and she had shot him down. "Kagome, why are you asking this," he asked flatly. "You're meddling again, aren't you?"

Kagome's reply was a shining smile.

Miroku sighed. "Who is she?"

"Miroku, I'm setting up a blind date for you. So, you may not know who she is. Just know that she's a great person and that her heart was recently broken, so be nice."

Miroku sighed again. Nothing would deter the headstrong Kagome. "Fine. When and where?" He gave in to her pestering.

"This Thursday, seven o'clock pm at the Painappuru." She pulled him into a brief hug of thanks and ran off before he could change his mind.

_Step one: check!_ Kagome chirped to herself.

* * *

"C'mon, Sango, please? You need to get out- the only time you left this room was to go to a party and get drunk. I swear, he's a nice guy!"

"Kagome," Sango replied from her position on the bed, "I broke up with Hiromatsu not even a week ago. The last think I want to do is go on a date with another one of those male scumbags."

"Sango, he's not a scumbag. He's one of my friends. And I think it would be good for you to go out with a nice guy for a change. I met Hiromatsu in the beginning of the year, remember? He was a rude idiot. Not Mi- not my friend." Kagome covered her slip with grace, and Sango didn't notice.

"So let me get this straight. You're setting me up on a blind date with this 'wonderful guy' that you know -who will probably be a total asshole- and giving me no choice." Sango's accusation was accompanied by a deadpan glare.

Kagome smiled. "Yep, that's it!"

Sango's head fell when she realized that Kagome wasn't getting what she was trying to say. "Fine, but I get to leave whenever I want, whether or not it is going well," she sighed.

"Deal," Kagome grinned and stuck her hand out so they could shake on it.

_Why do I feel like I've been conned?_ Sango wondered as she shook Kagome's hand to seal the deal.

_Step two: success!_ Was Kagome's only thought as she left her sullen roommate in peace.

* * *

Miroku entered the Painappuru restaurant at exactly 6:57 that Thursday evening. Kagome had called later and told him which table to meet at. She claimed it was her favorite, all the way in the back and half hidden by a curtain of plants. The table, of course, was empty except for a pineapple-shaped candle.

Deciding he had time for a quick run to the bathroom, Miroku draped his jacket along the back of one bench and set his messenger bag down on the same bench. Evil Kagome had made the blind date half an hour after his last class, so he was still in his school clothes. He hoped that the girl wasn't too dressed up; he was only wearing boots, blue jeans and a T-shirt.

On his way back from the restroom, Miroku noticed that his booth wasn't empty anymore. From the angle he was at, he could tell that the girl was in excellent shape, in more ways then one. He hung back to study her more. There was no excuse for being prepared. She was also more dressed up then he was; she had on a nice halter-top, a denim skirt, and high heels. Obviously, she hadn't tried too hard to get dressed up, but she still looked fantastic. Her long hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, giving Miroku a mouth-watering view of her neck.

Her demeanor indicated that she was rather bored or angry. Miroku wasn't sure which, but he knew that he'd have to be on his best behavior for her to give him a second chance. Even from the back she looked imposing.

He walked over to the table with careful grace and slid into his seat, keeping his head tilted down to give the girl a fair look at him as well. Miroku slowly raised his head to stare right into her eyes, mustering all the charm he possessed.

His charming grin was met with a stony glare.

"Miroku," she spat. "Of all the people that Kagome could set me up with, it had to be you.

Miroku, meanwhile, was in heaven. Before him sat the gorgeous goddess that he had fallen in love with, way back when she had been the only girl to openly turn him down.

"That little brat told me, _guaranteed_ me that my blind date wasn't a scumbag." Sango continued ranting, "You were the creep who defined 'scumbag' for me!"

_Ouch_, Miroku winced, _Harsh_. . Looking completely beaten even though he hadn't even spoken yet, Miroku gathered his things and meant to leave. Normally he'd call it fate that the girl of his dreams was set up on a blind date with him, but she was still fuming about how much she hated him.

As Miroku was about to get up and shuffle off, the waitress appeared and said that their food was ready over on the buffet line. Miroku gave her a puzzled look, and she explained that their order had been called in and paid for earlier that day.

"Well, Sango," Miroku began delicately, "Kagome already paid for this, so the least we can do is eat it."

Sango did a very good impression of InuYasha as she snorted but agreed. They collected their food and ate in silence for a while.

"So, Sango, why is it that you hate me so much? As I recall, the only time we were ever in close contact was the time I asked you out."

The girl in question stiffened and grappled for a good answer. She decided on blunt and truthful instead of nice. "If your memory is so good, you should remember several things about that event. One: I told you I had a boyfriend, and I wasn't interested in two-timing. Two: I know your reputation, and I don't want a playboy boyfriend. Three: In the middle of your romantic pursuit, you suddenly ignored me and asked another girl to bear you child." She stabbed her fork at a tomato on her salad for emphasis.

Miroku's crestfallen look startled her. Since when did he get so upset over one little rejection? Lots of girls probably rejected him, or slapped him into next week instead. Sango revised her harsh attitude and asked him about what she had been wondering.

"Sango, you're the only girl who did not look embarrassed or flattered, or even hopeful, at all. Every other girl seemed like she enjoyed the attention. You just shot me down without a hint of care." _And it made me fall for you completely_, he added silently.

"So you were a typical guy and fell for the unattainable?" Sango asked, as if she had read his mind.

Knowing he had no chance, Miroku just stood up and gathered his things. "Enjoy your dessert. I have to meet a friend somewhere." He left without another word; feeling like his world had been crushed. What she had said was not the way he felt. On the surface it appeared that way, but he had loved her at first sight when she was in his Ancient History 101 class when they were freshmen. So much that it took him a year to get up the courage to ask her out.

Sango just watched him go, feeling sad that his misery was her fault. "Miroku," she whispered to herself, "I'm sorry. Forgive the fact that I can't trust you to not leave me for another pretty face. I'd love you if I could. . ." She trailed off. Not that he would ever know, but she had turned him down before solely because he broke off his wanting to be her boyfriend so he could ask some bimbo to bear his child. She knew she couldn't compete with that.

Feeling worse then ever, she got up as well and left without enjoying her dessert as instructed.

* * *

"So how'd it go?" Kagome piped as soon as Sango stumbled into the room.

The light odor of alcohol accompanied her roommate, and Kagome rushed to her side before she fell over. "Sango, what's wrong?" Kagome pressed for an answer.

Sango stumbled over to her bed, ignoring Kagome's help, and collapsed.

"You couldn't have picked a worse person to set me up with," Sango slurred, tears beginning to run down her face. "Why did you pick him? Why not any of your other friends?"

"Sango, I just wanted to find a guy who could make you happy. One who is at least your age, one who would give you the moon if you asked for it. He is the only one of my male friends who fills those requirements and is single" That_, and he loves you_, Kagome replied, keeping the last part to herself. He had told her that in confidence. "Why was he such a bad choice?"

Sango sniffed, "We - we have history. He tried to get me to go out with him before."

"And..." Kagome paused, motioning Sango to continue.

"And I turned him down. I don't think he can concentrate on one woman for more then five minutes, and I'm looking for commitment."

"Oh," Kagome was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say next; she wanted to help Miroku, and she wanted to make Sango happy, but she had no idea how to accomplish both.

* * *

The next day, Kagome met up with her three friends for a movie and some ice cream. At the ice cream parlor, the three girls compared how horrible their lives were during that week.

"You wouldn't believe the amount of hate mail I've received this past week," Eri exclaimed. The other three nodded politely. "A lot of people really like the Shakespearean Drama Festival, apparently. And you, Kagome, are a very famous person! Each complaint has been based on you two starring."

"Oh, Eri," Kagome responded with a sip of milkshake, "I'm really not worth all the fuss! Just change the roles if you have to."

Eri gave Kagome a sad smile. "If I could, I would. Even my actors are asking for a change! But my supervisors won't let me change it now that it's posted. I regret that!" With the last sentence, her smile turned into a glare and she slammed her cup down.

"Easy, Eri," Yuka soothed. "You'll survive. Prove the idiots wrong!"

Eri smiled again at the show of confidence.

"Besides, I failed two tests and a report this week. That has to be up there as far as bad weeks go," Yuka concluded.

Kagome snorted as she figured out how to tell her woeful tale. "I think I have you beat, guys," she said after a moment's silence. "In one week, I've managed to make my best guy friend miserable and ruin my room mate's last shred of self-control."

Eri and Yuka gaped at her, and Ayumi hummed to herself. "Okay, I'll bite. How in the world did you manage that?" The first two said together, although they paused to glare at the other for stealing thoughts.

"Well, Sango was dumped. I decided that the best way to get her out of her deep blue funk was to set her up on a blind date. With Miroku. Turns out they have history. Now Miroku is wallowing in regrets and Sango is even more upset and distrustful of men."

"Oh."

The four lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate their ice cream. Kagome had a milkshake, Eri a Berri Blast smoothie, Yuka a Sundae, and Ayumi a root beer float.

They all turned to look at Ayumi, who had been silent until then. "So, Ayumi, what horrible event happened to you this week?" Eri asked.

After a pause, Ayumi replied, "Actually, my week has been wonderful."

Kagome laughed as Eri tried to murder Ayumi for the sin of having a good week.

Once things had settled down again at the table, Eri turned to Kagome. "Kagome, did you read the letter at the end of the cast list?"

"Umm," Kagome thought back. Honestly, she hadn't even been given the chance to read the list. "No. Why?"

Eri chucked. "It's a good thing I asked then. There is a cast meeting on Sunday at four pm. You need to be there, because you, my darling, are the star." She winked and smiled. "Just be sure to show, okay?"

Kagome sighed. Another thing on her busy agenda. "Fine. I'll be there."

* * *

**A/N**

**So, there be chapter 9. What did you think?**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! One stuck out in my mind for its accuracy: "****And Kagome's plan for avoiding InuYasha...it ain't gonna work. Of all plays in the world where two leads can ignore each other...this definitely isn't one of them." (thanks, InuGoddess715!!)**** That's my plot in a nutshell .**

**These chapters are on a roll! I've finally gotten to something I feel like writing about all the time! (That hasn't happened before!) Expect an update soon (I promise one before the 24th!). Only 2 more chapters left in Act 2!**


	10. Act II Scene 5

**Disclaimer: Takahashi Rumiko and VIZ own InuYasha. Not I. I do, however, borrow him for this story and would appreciate your not getting angry. **

**The Last Thing I Need**

**MyImaginaryInuYasha**

**Act II Scene 5**

* * *

Sunday at 4:07 found Kagome running across campus in a pair of sweatpants and a heavy winter jacket. Her snow boots thunked on the snow-covered ground with each step. Her hair was still very damp because her hairdryer had broken, and she had just remembered that she had forgotten to bring a pair of real shoes along with her.

She hated winter.

Because she was running so late, Kagome had ignored the paths and just run across the snow-covered grass. Swearing every time she tripped over a hidden rock or branch, Kagome made her way towards the theatre, where the cast meeting was located.

Half way there, she felt something hit her back. Soon she was under attack by a bunch of students for running through their snowball fight. She swore again when one hit the back of her head and dripped down her jacket. Still, she did not stop running.

At 4:15, she skidded into the theater and slammed her way into the auditorium.

Every person in the room turned around to stare at her while Eri welcomed her, "Hello, Kagome! So nice of you to join us." Her tone was sarcastic, but her smile made Kagome feel a bit better at being late.

"Oi, wench!" A voice shot out, "what are you doing here so late? Maybe we should find a star who can be on time. Who knows, she might even be late to the performances!" Kagome directed a glare at the very obvious comments from InuYasha. She scowled and found a seat far away from the jerk.

"Now then," Eri attempted to regain control of the meeting. InuYasha grumbled but fell silent, so she continued. "Thank you all for coming to the meeting. I would first like to congratulate all of you for landing either a role or a understudy part. The competition was rough, but you all are the best."

A few murmurs echoed throughout the room accompanied by a snort from InuYasha. "I would also like to quash a few rumors that have been circulating," Eri continued. "It is not a joke that I have cast Higurashi Kagome and Nakamura InuYasha in the lead roles. I believe that they will both do an excellent job as actors. They had a realistic feeling of hate to contribute, and all of us believe that they can overcome their rivalry to create a spectacular show."

The whispers started up again, and Kagome tinted red at the embarrassment of being spoken about in such a way.

The girl next to Kagome leaned over and commented, "I wonder who these Higurashi and Nakamura people are. They sound rather interesting."

Kagome turned redder and turned towards the girl. "Don't you know?" She asked, "Our entire families are pretty well known around here, miss. . ?"

"Ayame," the girl replied, tucking a stray strand of violent red hair behind her ear. "Hibikua Ayame. I transferred here a week before the tryouts from America. I'm afraid I don't know anyone around here yet."

"Oh," Kagome smiled. "My name is Higurashi Kagome. You wouldn't be the Ayame who is my understudy, would you?"

Ayame beamed at being remembered; she had very few friends in Japan. "Yep!"

The two giggled and continued to get to know each other. Both were glad to have a friend in the play.

Meanwhile, Eri was talking about what she expected from her cast members, and informing everyone of basic dates and mandatory practices. She also told them that there would be a practice every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of every week. They were allowed to bring school work, but could only miss one practice every two weeks.

"Now!" Eri exclaimed, clapping her hands. "We are going to spend today getting better acquainted. To perform well as a unit, we need both trust and understanding. So, everyone, form a giant circle on the stage."

Much grumbling arose from the crowd as students dragged themselves up to the stage. Ayame bounded up to the stage with a limitless supply of energy. She proceeded to scout out the cutest boys and sit down next to one of them. Kagome joined her without looking who she had chosen.

Kagome did notice, however, when Ayame attempted to strike up a conversation with Kouga, the boy Ayame had chosen. Kouga was ignoring her in favor of talking to InuYasha on his other side. Who would prefer to talk to InuYasha then a cute girl, Kagome had no idea.

Ayame turned back to Kagome in defeat. "It's okay," Kagome consoled her new friend. "You see that idiot he's talking to? That's Nakamura InuYasha."

InuYasha looked over when he heard his name, but he scowled and turned his attention back to Kouga.

"I'm sorry, Kagome, I didn't know." Ayame looked genuinely fearful, as if she was afraid that Kagome would leave her because of her choice of men.

"It's okay, Ayame. He can't do anything while we're here. Besides, the guy you chose is Onaku Kouga- the son of famous actors and a very nice person. Unlike his friend."

Ayame giggled. She was glad to hear that this boy was a nice one.

"Okay!" Eri shouted to gain the crowd's attention. Once they were quiet, she continued. "We're going to start with something easy. We will go clockwise around the circle, starting with Romeo, and will say your name, the character you play, and why you tried out. Go." She sat back down and looked at InuYasha.

"Um. . Nakamura InuYasha. . Romeo Montague. . Um. . Because Kouga made me try out." Looking relieved, InuYasha glanced at the person on his left.

They went around the circle, introducing cast and a few crew members until it was at last Kagome's turn. By then, she had it rehearsed perfectly. "Higurashi Kagome, Juliet Capulet, because Eri asked me to try out."

Kagome glanced at Ayame, who said, "Hibikua Ayame, Nurse and Understudy to Juliet, because I thought it would be a great way to meet people here in Japan." She gave a sighing glance to Kouga on her left, who ignored her.

"Onaku Kouga. I am the great Mercutio, Understudy to the hopeless Romeo," he made a gesture to InuYasha on his left, who glared back, "An I have graced you with my presence because my parents forced me." He ended with a flourish and a wink. Ayame gave a mournful sigh while Kagome giggled at Kouga's antics.

Eri gaped at Kouga. _Maybe it was a mistake to cast him_, she thought with a laugh. "This next time around, say your name, age, birth month and level in school. Starting with Juliet."

Caught unawares, Kagome paused. "Uh, Higurashi Kagome -you all can call me Kagome, no formalities needed, I'm eighteen, my birthday is in April, and I'm a Freshman." Grumbles arose from the upperclassmen Kagome had beaten, but were silenced by a glare from Eri.

"Erm. . My name is Hibikua Ayame, you may call me Ayame as well. . I am twenty years old, twenty-one next month, and I am a Sophomore." She gave Kouga another happy glance. He ignored her again.

"Onaku Kouga. You may call me Onaku," he smirked at his wisecrack and enjoyed the crowd's reaction. "I have turned nineteen this past September, and I am a Freshman." He looked over at InuYasha while Ayame gave a mournful sigh at the realization that Kouga was over a year and a half her junior.

InuYasha took a minute to register that it was his turn. "oh, um, Nakamura InuYasha. . Call me whatever you like, I don't give a rip. . I'm nineteen, my birthday was in November, and I'm a Freshman."

More grumbles erupted when the crowd learned that both of the stars were Freshman newbies. Eri silenced them with a cough. And so the circle ritual went on, covering everything from favorite color and food to major in school.

"I think that will do for today," Eri stated after the round on life goals. "We now have a basic knowledge of each other, so next we will work on trust. Everyone, divide into four groups, each having about ten people."

Eri paused as everyone arose and shuffled around to find a group. "First we will try large group trust falls. Pick one person to stand in the middle of your group's circle and, when you are ALL ready, the center person will fall backwards and remain rigid. Then the circle will pass the person around. A note to the center person- the effect is best when your eyes are closed. Begin whenever you are ready!" The groups began, and Eri disappeared to speak with her supervisor.

Kagome glanced around her group. It was full of people she didn't know, except for Ayame. Thankfully, InuYasha was in a different group.

And so the evening progressed. Kagome and InuYasha spent most of their time avoiding each other, and Ayame spent a lot of time trying to get Kouga's attention.

Eri finally dismissed them at eight o'clock to get supper. She didn't neglect to remind them that the first practice was the next day at six.

Outside, snow was falling again, making an even deeper obstacle for Kagome to forge through. She couldn't even forge through with a friend, because Ayame's apartment was in the opposite direction. Kagome set off on her own in the dark, keeping her eyes down so she wouldn't stumble over anything. All she wanted was to get back to her dorm, make a bowl of Ramen, and sleep.

Kagome's thoughts were interrupted when she ran into something hard. Her focus had been the ground, so she hadn't seen it there.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" It spoke in an irritated voice.

Kagome groaned as she realized whose voice it was. "I'm sorry, Nakamura, I didn't see you. I can only see three feet in front of my face, and I've been trying not to trip over anything."

He was silent for a moment. "Here," he said after much deliberation, "Take my hand. I can see a lot better then you can; I'll lead you. Which dorm are you in?"

Kagome, shocked at InuYasha's uncharacteristic niceness, forgot to answer.

"Well?"

Finding her voice, Kagome replied, "I'm in your dorm, you idiot. I thought you'd remember."

He stiffened when she called him an idiot, but ignored it. There were very few times that he could be nice to her and not have someone notice. A snow storm that was fast becoming a blizzard was one of them.

"So. . ." Kagome tried to make conversation, "Why exactly are you helping me?"

He'd be damned if he told her the real reason, so he made something up on the spot. "I figured that we'd have to be nice to each other if we have to work together. Ergo, I decided to prevent you from walking into something a lot harder them me. Like a tree. Or a wall."

Kagome heard the smile in his voice and it put her at ease. She decided to venture a question, while he was in a good mood. "So, Nakamura," The idea of speaking to him like a normal person was very foreign to her. "What happened to Kouga-kun?"

"The wimpy wolf? He stayed behind to talk to the director -your friend, Eri. I think he still wants to see if he can be the star. I dunno if his parents will accept anything less then the lead role."

"You mean that the rumors are true? That he is the son of Kamikuri Rikawa and Onaku Jenji?" Kagome was startled. She hadn't put much faith in those old rumors.

"Mm-hm," InuYasha hummed affirmative. "He hates acting, but they make him. I think it's gone to his head- he's gotten used to having everything he wants."

Kagome giggled. That fit her image of Kouga perfectly.

"So," InuYasha prepared to pose a question of his own. "What happened to make you so late and in such a disheveled state for the meeting?"

Kagome had to overcome the sudden appearance of InuYasha's larger vocabulary before she could answer. "Oh, that was nothing. I just managed to break my hairdryer while I was getting ready. That's what made me late and why my hair was still soaked. I also forgot to bring normal shoes. That's why I went around in my socks all during the meeting."

She was going to continue, but a burst of laughter from InuYasha made her pause. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you okay, Nakamura? I don't think you've ever said anything civil to me before tonight, and now you're laughing at something I said? I think you need to go lay down."

"Very funny, Higurashi. I just had this image of you Higurashis being flawless, and tonight you were anything but."

Kagome grumbled, and they walked in silence for a moment. "so, Nakamura, why were you all bruised the other day? When you looked at the tryout papers, you were covered in purple and black blotches. Though, they've faded somewhat since then. . ." She trailed off, leaving the conversation open for him to answer.

"My brother," he said after a pause. "We fight and argue a lot. He locked me in my wing of our mansion for all of Winter Break. So I made as much noise as possible, so I'd piss him off a lot. I succeeded, so he didn't give me a ride back to school. I paid an arm and leg for a taxi instead. We fought later, and he won. I was left with the bruises."

Kagome smiled at how he was being so open. She tucked her face farther into her scarf to hide the smile and to keep warm as the wind picked up. "I'm glad my brother and I don't fight. We get along very well, considering our family situation."

After that, both fell silent and finished the path to their dorm in companionable silence.

InuYasha stopped just outside the circle of light from the entrance's spotlight. "You go in first. We can't go in together, I have appearances to keep up, after all."

He stuck his nose in the air and Kagome giggled at the comic nature of his action. She waved goodbye as she entered the building.

InuYasha felt a smile creep onto his face despite how he tried to keep up a tough façade. _Maybe this wouldn't be too bad after all_, he thought as he strode towards the building.

* * *

The next day, Kagome decided to make sure that she was not the last person to practice. Instead, she went to the theater directly from her last class of the day. She arrived just as Eri's advisor unlocked the door, so she was able to get the best seat in the house: the far back corner, away from anyone else.

Five minutes later, Eri came puffing in, sliding her boots off and carrying a load of boxes. Kagome went to help with the boxes. No way she was getting near Eri's feet.

"Thanks," Eri said in reply. "The last of the scripts arrived this afternoon. I had to drag them all here."

Kagome chuckled as they set the boxes on the table in front of the stage. "Is there anything else?"

Eri looked thoughtful for a moment. "No. . I don't think so. We're only reading over the play tonight, nothing too special."

"So," Eri tried to continue the conversation, "how did you get back to the dorm last night? If you walked by yourself, you're lucky to not be a popsicle."

Kagome blushed, debating if she should tell the truth or not. "I walked back with Ayame," she lied. "She lives in the next building over."

Eri raised an eyebrow. She would have sworn that Ayame lived in an apartment on the third floor of her building. So what was Kagome hiding?

"How did you get home, Eri? You don't drive and you live a little far away from here." Kagome attempted to shift the attention on to the other girl.

"Kouga took me home," she answered plainly. "I think he's still trying to bribe me into giving him the lead. That boy cannot take rejection. But he has a really cool car. One of those new ones, just came out in December. Probably got it for Christmas. What some people can afford. . ." Eri trailed off, thinking about things that she would buy if she had the money.

She thought until Kagome beat her over the head. "You twit, your family is just as rich as his," Kagome smiled. "You can get any car you want; you just don't want to drive."

"Guilty," Eri admitted with a sheepish glance.

Kagome laughed again as more people started entering the room.

"Hey, Kagome, do you want to help me hand out the scripts? I don't think my advisor is going to be much help," she gestured towards the woman, who was tucked away into a corner reading some essays. Kagome nodded in reply. "Okay. Take these," she deposited a stack of thick scripts in Kagome's hands, "and this," a sheet of paper was set on top, "and pass them out."

The first thing Kagome did was set the whole pile down on the stage. Her list belonged to the main characters. She decided that she'd deliver scripts to the people she knew then go from there.

Higurashi Kagome. That one was easy enough. Kagome took the top script and set it aside.

Nakamura InuYasha. She looked around but didn't see him anywhere.

Hibikua Ayame. She found Ayame sitting back in the corner that Kagome had claimed earlier. "Hi, Ayame," she chirped as she handed the script over.

"Hey," Ayame replied, "How are you today?" Not waiting for an answer, Ayame plowed on. "Kagome, would you do me a favor? Give this to Onaku when you see him."

Kagome observed Ayame's bright red cheeks as she accepted the small white paper. A smirk bloomed across her face. "Okay. Good luck!" With that, Kagome returned to the stage to look at her list.

She glanced at Eri, who was calling out the names of the regular cast members. Kagome thought her method of delivery was much simpler.

Kagome didn't know the next three people on the list, so she skipped them.

Onaku Kouga. Strangely enough, he was there without InuYasha. Kagome picked up a script and headed over to where Kouga was sitting. Handing him the script and the paper Ayame had given her, she asked, "Kouga-kun, where is Nakamura? Doesn't he come with you?"

"Naw, he was busy today. I think he'll be here before quarter past, though." This was when Kouga noticed the paper. Unfolding it carefully, he read its contents. Kagome glimpsed a phone number and a doodle of Ayame (a self portrait, obviously) before Kouga slid it into his script. "Thanks," he said with a smile, Kagome's cue to leave.

Kagome worked her way to the bottom of her list before she returned to the top and InuYasha's name. This time, she saw him sliding along the row of seats to reach Kouga. He failed to be discrete, because he left a row of people complaining of crushed toes and backpacks in his wake. She smiled as she picked up the last script and headed over.

"Here, Nakamura." She said as she held the book out to him. He snatched it with a glare. Not words, no thanks, and the only indication of his noticing her presence was the glare.

Kagome returned to the stage, bewildered as to why he was so nasty now. He had been so nice the night before. Still wondering what brought on the change, Kagome picked up her script and retreated into her corner with Ayame.

"ATTENTION!" Kagome jumped when Eri bellowed to catch everyone's concentration and end all extra conversation. "Now then," Eri continued. "I expect everyone here at five o'clock on the dot every day we have practice -Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, for those who forgot- with no exceptions. Tardys will be recorded and have negative consequences." She glared at the crowd in intimidation.

"Today will be a lose practice compared to the rest. I plan to do a rough run through of the script, just to see how everyone works together. There will be more notes at the end. Now, I want the chorus up on the stage. Begin!"

* * *

And so the night moved on. People stumbled over lines in a dialect they were unused to, nobody was in any sort of proper location, and many people forget who their co-stars were. InuYasha flat out refused to look at Kagome, and Kagome was angry enough that at the end, when she was 'dead', she tripped him. During their kiss scenes, he had ignored her completely in favor of sticking his nose in the air.

Eri was so frustrated that she stopped paying attention after Act Three. How she was supposed to work with these idiots, she didn't know.

"AUGH!!!!!!!!" She cried as the chorus stumbled out for the ending, tripping over Kagome's body. "That's it! Enough! Everyone, back to your seats!"

Looking at the enraged director with a mixture of fear and amusement, the cast shuffled back to their seats. Dead silence fell over the auditorium.

"I want all of you to spend your spare time looking over your lines. This is an easy translation- it shouldn't be that hard. Wednesday, bring homework and other things to do, because I will be working with specific groups. Next week, I will post a schedule telling which practices you must attend. I will see you all Wednesday at five- exactly!" Without a good-bye or good-night, Eri stormed down the isle and out of the auditorium.

Kagome glanced at her watch and commented to Ayame, "I hope practice doesn't go this late every night."

Ayame looked at the clock, telling that it was after eleven, and giggled. This broke the stunned silence in the room, and people began leaving. "See ya later, Kagome!" Ayame called as she shouldered her bag and joined the crowd.

Kagome picked up her bag as well, and slowly followed the crowd. It wasn't snowing tonight, and the air was clear. The lights were also lit, so Kagome could see her way back to the dorm. She looked around for InuYasha, hoping that he would have waited again. He hadn't. Sighing, she began her trek back to the building. Maybe she should take a day off tomorrow. .

* * *

The next morning, Kagome hit her snooze button until the alarm stopped ringing at all. Sango voiced how proud she was of li'l Kagome, who had decided to sleep in and skip classes for the day.

Kagome ignored her room mate and bundled herself into her favorite Christmas present- a small car from her mother and the clan. After a quick stop at the Painappuru for hot chocolate and a doughnut, Kagome headed back to the shrine.

* * *

Two hours later, Kagome reclined on the couch in the shrine's living room. Souta was sitting on the floor in front of her, watching a TV show about ghost stories.

"You know, Souta, this show is complete bull," Kagome commented in an off-hand sort of way. "It's not possible for a house to be haunted by anything other then kami, and they would have had to restage the event to film it anyway."

Souta turned around with jerky motions and Kagome was amused and shocked to see that his face was chalk white. "K-k-Kagome, its _real_, I can f-feel it." He stuttered. Kagome laughed.

"Souta, what you can 'feel' is Buyo's tail swishing against your feet. There are no such things as ghosts."

Her brother grunted indignantly and turned around to watch the show. The actors were performing some sort of séance, and the angry spirits were attacking the psychic's mind. Kagome laughed at the ridiculousness of the program.

Souta watched, enraptured, as the spirits tried to murder a boy. His face turned paler and he got up and fled before the show got worse. Kagome laughed even more, because her 'tough' fourteen year old brother ran from a scary TV show. Her laughter died down when it was obvious that he wasn't returning, and she paid more attention to the show.

Kagome didn't hear the footsteps sneaking up behind her, but she did notice when a goblin head dropped from the air in front of her. She shrieked and scooted back until she hit the back of the couch. The head floated towards her, and with a final yell, Kagome dove over the back of the couch and right into her brother. A clatter and a plop followed, as Souta dropped the pole and the mask in surprise.

He burst into laughter at the terrified look Kagome gave him. "'No such things as ghosts', huh, Kag!" He choked out between roars of laughter. Kagome glared and wrapped one arm around her unsuspecting brother's neck. She proceeded to give him a noogie after she strangled him for the prank.

"You, Souta, are the worst person ever!" Kagome shouted as he broke free and fled again. She ignored his retreating back, figuring that he would be hiding for a while.

After a few minutes, Kagome found herself wandering into the kitchen, where her mother was making lunch and removing a batch of cookies from the oven. "You know, mama," she commented, "We could move back with dad's family and you could have a cook to do this for you."

"Kagome," her mother began a much-repeated speech, "I didn't like living with them, and you know it. They put too much pressure on you and Souta as heirs, and everyone was so bunched together in that mansion complex. I prefer the open spaces of the shrine. Besides, cooking calms me."

"Okay, mama, if you say so," Kagome conceded while swiping a cookie from the cooling tray on the table. "But I still like all the benefits of the mansion. Indoor pool. . Arcade. . Massive televisions. . Lots of people to talk to. . A staff of cooks and servants. ." She counted each of these off on her fingers as she spoke. "Gee, I can see why you hated it." Kagome finished with a roll of her eyes.

"Very funny, Kagome. Now put that cookie back; it's lunch time. Call your brother and grandfather, please."

Grumbling, Kagome turned and walked to the stairs. "Souta! Come down here, lunch is ready!" Not waiting for a reply, she went to the front door and stepped outside. "Jii-chan!" Kagome shouted, "Lunch is ready!" This time she waited until she saw the old man wandering over. His hearing was questionable, so she had to make sure he had heard.

As Kagome sat down at the table, she realized what her mother had been cooking. It was oden, her favorite food. Stars sprang to her eyes as she waited for the rest of the family to sit down.

* * *

After eating silently for most of the meal, Kagome broke the silence. "Hey, Souta, how come you're not in school today?"

"The teachers are on strike for some reason." He looked very smug. "I love not having to go in. Video games and television all day!"

Their mother gave him a disapproving look. "The teachers are on strike because they want a pay raise. I think they deserve it. And you have a lot of homework to make up for missed time, so I suggest you work on it."

Looking angry at being chastised, Souta went back to eating and ignoring everyone else.

As Kagome finished, the gate bell rang. Everyone else was still eating, so she got up to answer it. _I hate that stupid gate_, thought Kagome as she put on her jacket. _Why can't people see that it's closed and just come back later? Why bother ringing a bell and disturbing us? It's probably an exorcism though, so I can't ignore it._

Her grumbling continued in this vein until she reached the gate at the top of the shrine steps. She wondered who it was. All family knew to use the side entrance that led directly to the house, so it had to be a stranger.

"Hi, Higurashi!" A voice piped up as she went to unlock the gate. Her eyes shot off the ground and on to the person in front of her. Only one person had a voice like that.

"Hello, Hojo. What brings you here?" More like, _Shouldn't you be safely in Okinawa, far away from me_? Kagome let him in the grounds anyway and they began the hike back to the house through the snow.

"My grandma is sick, so I came home."

Kagome paused. This was why he had come to visit her?

"Your aunt called," he continued, "And said that you skipped school and went home today. She suggested that I visit. So, here I am."

_Does my family have a spy watching me_? Kagome continued her internal monologue. "Well, Hojo, thanks for visiting. We just finished lunch, but my mama made cookies, if you'd like to try one."

Smiling in reply, Hojo continued walking. Once he was far enough ahead of her, Kagome rolled her eyes. This was why she had dumped him back in Senior High. The boy had no back bone, and his only passion was herbs. No excitement or adventure whatsoever.

"So, Hojo, how's school going for you?"

"Oh, it's okay," Hojo, the king of non-committals, replied. "I am enjoying my classes, but my roommate is rather. . Interesting."

"Interesting how?"

"He's very out-going. He's in a fraternity and he is on the college football team."

Kagome smiled back, but inside she was amused that Hojo had his polar opposite for a roommate.

"How is college going for you, Higurashi?"

For a moment, Kagome debated whether or not to tell the truth. If he was in contact with her family, the truth was a bad idea. A lie it was. "My year is going great! I have the lead in the club play, and I'm on top of all my classes."

"That's good, Higurashi."

Kagome sighed. She hoped that the rest of the afternoon was better then this conversation. She also hoped that Hojo would leave soon.

No such luck. Hojo stayed and scattered pleasantries until Mrs. Higurashi shooed him out so the rest of the family could eat supper. Kagome could not have been happier to see him leave.

"To think I put up with him for three years in Senior High. What was I thinking?" Kagome asked her mother, who just shrugged. "And I can't get away from him, because Daddy's family keeps setting him up with me."

"Kagome, dear, I'm sorry. He's gone, so why don't you forget him and just eat?"

Sighing again, Kagome agreed and continued eating. Maybe she'd stay and old maid and never have to worry about men. Or maybe she'd move to America and never have to worry about her family. One or the other; both were good.

**

* * *

**

**First off, sorry for making Ayame older then Kouga. I know that's not cannon, but I wanted to try it this way. Anything else that I may have gotten wrong or not-cannon, let me know. And to the adventurous of you, there was a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. Any guesses what it was?**

**Another author pointed this out in a story: Souta and Kagome rarely get bonding time. So I tried to work that in too. Plus, it kept the story from being too focused on college and the play. (Unfortunately this won't work for Inu-kun, because his family hates him and won't want him visiting)**

**I would like to dedicate this extra-long chapter and the pseudo-fluff within it to my uncle and his fiancée, who are getting married at the end of the month. Due to that and school starting, I may not be able to get an update out for a while. Sorry 'bout that too.**

**Oooooo- only one more chapter left in Act 2!!**


	11. Act II Scene 6

**Disclaimer: Takahashi Rumiko and VIZ own InuYasha. Not I.**

**A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Or, happy whatever-holiday-you celebrate! (sorry for not getting it out **_**before**_** Christmas. . ::sweatdrop:: ) Happy New Year as well!**

**So, the reason InuYasha is acting all two-faced and bipolar. He realizes that Miroku is right and that he should be nice to Kag, but his pride keeps him from admitting it publicly. And we all know how proud (and stubborn) our favorite Inu-hanyou can be .**

**Wow, Eri's turning into Professor Umbridge::scream!!::**

**Sorry this chapter took so long. I have too many excuses, only few of which are legit. Either way, here it is:**

**The Last Thing I Need**

**MyImaginaryInuYasha**

**Act II Scene 6

* * *

**

Kagome decided to stay with her family and watch a marathon of movies that evening, and she stayed in the luxury of her own room. On the down side, the only clean clothing she had at home was summer/spring clothes.

That is why she showed up running across campus, three minutes late for her first class clad in jeans, a spaghetti tank top, and a sweatshirt. Cursing how she slept late, Kagome hoped that she wouldn't be making a habit of being late for everything this semester.

"Oof!" She collided with a hard body that had darted into her path as she ran. A snowball hit the two of them as they fell over. Rubbing the sore spot on her arm from the collision, Kagome let out a soft, "Ow. ."

When the other body said a similar exclamation of pain, Kagome took a closer look at whom she had run into. "Oh! Hello, Miroku. Don't you have class now?"

Miroku laughed. "Yes, Kagome-chan, I do. But this newly fallen snow is too good to pass up, hm?" He was cut off when a snowball collided with the back of his head again.

"Oi, Miroku, who are you blabbering with?" A new, recognizable voice broke into the conversation. Without looking up, Kagome knew who it was. InuYasha.

"InuYasha, I am just talking to the lovely Miss Kagome. Calm down."

InuYasha's ears perked up upon hearing her name. Just what his stash of snowballs had been waiting for. He snuck back out of conversation range to get them.

"Don't you have a class now, Kagome-chan?"

"Yeah. . I stayed at my mom's house last night, and I kinda slept in. So I'm late. Speaking of, I gotta go!" Just as Kagome was in the process of standing up, she was hit by a barrage of snowballs. She couldn't see the source, and she couldn't block all of them. The attack stopped, and she peered around. Miroku was holding InuYasha back, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who had attacked her.

Grumbling, Kagome turned and stalked off towards the building. There was no point in giving InuYasha the pleasure of making her angry. Besides, the professor for this class was usually late as well, so she shouldn't have missed much of the lecture.

Unfortunately, she was forced to remove her sweatshirt inside the building because it was soaked with snow, so she got to walk in to her lecture late and in a tank top. Joy.

* * *

"InuYasha," Miroku asked once Kagome was safely out of range, "why did you do that?"

"Keh," He grumbled and crossed his arms. "Do I need a reason? She's a bitch and so is her family. She deserved it."

Cocking an eyebrow, Miroku just looked back at his friend. Is that what he really thought?

"InuYasha, may I point something out to you?"

InuYasha looked in the opposite direction but made no noise. Miroku took that to mean 'yes'.

"A person can't choose their family. Okay, her family is nasty, but is she? What has she ever done to you?"

"Feh, you mean besides existing?"

"No, I mean something bad that would warrant all of the horrible things you do to the poor girl. If I recall correctly, most -if not all- of your fights were started by you, InuYasha. Her family may hate you, and your family may have a reason to hate them back, but neither of you chose your family. Neither of you can help being involved with this."

InuYasha fell silent. As much as he hated to admit it, Miroku had a point.

Snowball fight forgotten, InuYasha wandered off deep in thought. Miroku smirked, knowing he was right. Sometimes, he was too insightful for his own good.

* * *

Kagome left her class two hours later to the whispers of her classmates. They all found great amusement that she had only a tank top too wear. The two hours in the warm building had not helped her sweatshirt's dampness; it made the cloth wetter as more snow melted.

In the lobby, Kagome pressed her face against the glass while she decided how she was going to get back to her car return to the dorm building. Feeling eyes on her back, Kagome turned around to find InuYasha lounging on a chair behind her, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

She scowled in reply and stormed out of the building, carrying her sweatshirt. Ignoring the hoots and hollers of her fellow students, Kagome stalked over to her car, climbed in, and slammed the door shut after her. She sat in the parking lot for a few minutes with the heater blasting, so she could warm up.

After a visit to her dorm for new clothes and another class, Kagome ate lunch in a small pizzeria instead of the cafeteria. She enjoyed a Hawaiian pizza slice and a smoothie before deciding that the day wasn't completely horrible. In fact, the rest of the afternoon passed without a problem or a run in with InuYasha.

* * *

InuYasha, however, was having a terrible day. He was still mulling over what Miroku had told him earlier, so he spent the day on autopilot- missing lunch and ignoring all of his professors. He showed up outside of the theater at five forty-five that evening before he realized that he hadn't eaten at all that day.

Cursing his stupidity and Miroku, he dashed off to the nearest WacDonalds to grab a burger that he could eat quickly before practice started. Thanks to this excursion, he was five minutes late for practice.

He managed to sneak in un-noticed, but he had to sit in the back of the room- across the aisle from Kagome and her red-head friend. Sighing, InuYasha slouched farther into his seat. He really didn't have good luck today.

Meanwhile, Eri was explaining the plan for the evening. They would run through the play again, but slower and more structured so she could take notes on what needed fixing. After that, practice would be over for the evening. "Chorus!" Eri called out suddenly, startling everyone, "On stage now!"

Three students stumbled up onto the stage and recited their lines. "Good," Eri congratulated, "nice memorization. You need to work on speaking together, though. Sampson! Gregory! You're up!" While she was speaking, Eri scribbled notes on a clipboard. This continued as the scenes rolled on, only pausing for Eri to interject notes and suggestions.

Every time InuYasha and Kagome were on the stage together, they ignored each other completely. Eri was constantly telling them to put their pride behind them and work together, but they refused. Only when the rest of the cast yelled at them to get along so practice could move quicker did they comply with heavy glares.

They finished reciting their lines at nine o'clock and the cast let out a collective sigh of relief. Books and computers were stuffed back into bags and loose papers will collected by their owners in preparation to leave when Eri picked up her microphone and got their attention. At her forceful _hem-hem_ everyone settled back down to wait out her speech.

"Tonight went well, everyone!" Eri smiled at the crowd. They just looked back at her. "I think that the best plan of action will be to work with each part individually. Over the next week and a half, you each will have at least two practices of individual or small group instruction. I will post the schedule on the bulletin board where I posted the cast list.

"A few notes to all of you before you leave. Everyone must look over their scripts and practice their lines. I want you all to have your parts memorized by the first week of February. No exceptions! Everyone must also practice using Shakespeare's language. This can be done just by rehearsing your part aloud, or by reading through the whole play. Be comfortable with the language. I noticed a lot of you tripping over your lines," she pointedly glared at InuYasha and a few other people, "and you need to be able to speak perfectly. Once again, no exceptions!

"If you are having trouble with any of this, speak to me and I will do my best to help you. Now, you may-" She was cut off as her mentor whispered something in her ear.

"I was just informed that another blizzard has picked up. It is recommended that you travel home in groups for safety purposes. Be especially careful if you are driving, because the snow is drifting. _Now_ you may leave."

A small cheer was heard as the actors dashed outside.

* * *

The next morning, Kagome was on a mission to find Miroku yet avoid InuYasha. That wouldn't be hard, she learned from Kouga, because InuYasha had locked himself in their room claiming a case of the flu.

Kagome had snorted at this. InuYasha was a demon, so he couldn't get sick. He was probably just skipping class again.

So distracted was she by the plans she had for Miroku that she ran into someone in a line in the cafeteria. Rubbing her head, Kagome moaned about how she seemed to run into so many people recently when the person turned around and spoke.

"Good morning, Kagome-chan!" an exuberant Miroku greeted her.

"Gee, Miroku, what happened to you this morning? You seem so much happier than usual!" Kagome exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at his actions.

"Oh, Kagome! I feel like singing!" Miroku shouted and spun in a comical circle. He looked like nothing bad had ever happened in his life and that he was the ruler of the world.

Slightly unnerved, Kagome repeated her question. Miroku still ignored it, as he was too distracted by telling random people how good today was. "MIROKU!" Kagome yelled and grabbed him by the ears to get his attention. The boy was obviously out of it; he was wearing red and green plaid pants, flip-flops, and a neon yellow T-shirt. There was a three inch thick layer of snow outside, and the temperature was nearing zero. Miroku didn't even notice that his feet were still blue and covered in snow.

"Yes, Kagome, my darling?"

Kagome just sighed and led him to the nearest table so he could sit and calm down.

Leaving Miroku with strict instructions not to move, Kagome went to borrow a sweat shirt and pants from her friend in a campus shop. Halfway back, Kagome turned around and bought a pair of socks too. After Miroku had donned the clothing and was returning to a normal skin color, Kagome repeated her question again, "Miroku, what happened to make you this," she paused and gestured to his quivering form, "uh, happy?"

"Ah!" Miroku beamed and leaned forward. "Let me tell you. I received a phone call from an angel last night, Kagome."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "An angel, Miroku? Aren't you Buddhist?"

"Not a real angel, Kagome." Miroku was so gone in his joy that he didn't notice Kagome's sarcasm. "Just a wonderful, wonderful girl."

Kagome nearly choked on this. She had figured that it was something to do with the female side of the species, but she had never seen Miroku so absolutely out of it before. "Who is she, Miroku?"

"Ahh, Kagome, the most glorious Sango." Sighing a mournful sigh, Miroku stared off into space, as if imagining that she was here with them.

"That's wonder-" Kagome paused. "WAIT, are we thinking of the same Sango? My roommate, Sango, right?"

Miroku nodded, still not really paying attention.

Realizing she would not get a straight answer out of Miroku, Kagome herded him outside and into her car. The least she could do was get him back to his room, where he could collect himself.

Kagome remembered his room from when she had to deliver part of a project, so getting him there was simple. Ignoring the catcalls from the dorm's other residents was not, but in the end Miroku was returned to his room with minimal trouble.

Having somewhat completed her mission, Kagome returned to her room to talk to Sango, who had quite a bit of explaining to do.

* * *

Sango spent the morning doing her best to avoid people. She had gone to her only class of the day and sat in the far back corner before hiding in the stairwell of her dorm building. No one ever used the stairs; kids were too hurried or lazy. So the only person Sango had seen since nine o'clock was a freshman boy who was avoiding his girlfriend. The wonders of a stairwell. . .

She had realized last night that maybe Miroku deserved a second chance. Maybe he at least deserved a chance to explain. So, she had called him while Kagome was away and told him to meet her for lunch at the same place they had met before on the fateful blind date. Unfortunately, she realized that Kagome would learn about this before the meeting took place, and Sango wanted to avoid the confrontation as much as possible.

Somewhere above her a door slammed, indicating somebody had entered the stairs. The soft footsteps that followed indicated a female. "Not Kagome, not Kagome," Sango pleaded softly to herself. She kept her head down, hoping that the girl would just pass her by. There was silence as the person stopped behind her.

"Sango," Kagome began, "what is this with you calling Mir-"

"Gosh, Kagome, I'd love to talk but I'm late for lunch!" Sango interrupted and dashed down the stairs leaving Kagome to blink in her wake.

"Lunch?" Kagome questioned herself as she checked her watch. It was barely after eleven.

* * *

Due to her hasty escape from Kagome, Sango sat by herself in the restaurant for an hour before Miroku rushed in out of the cold. His time back in his dorm had done some good, for he now was dressed like a normal human, but the moment he saw Sango he lost all his composure.

"Hi, Sango," Miroku choked out as he sat down across from her. A stony silence ensued as each waited for the other to start talking. A waitress interrupted the silence when she took their orders, and Sango, tired of waiting, began conversation.

"Last night I told you I was willing to give you a chance to explain yourself. As hard as it may be, I will be as honest as possible with you, so please be honest with me." She stopped talking, indicating that it was his turn.

Miroku sat silent for another moment, collecting what he would say. Finally he decided that thought-collecting was pointless, and he just opened his mouth. "You said complete honesty, Sango, so here it is. When I asked you out the first time, I had been building up courage for the better part of a year. Back then, I thought you were the most perfect being to cross my path daily. So, naturally, I was intimidated. I hadn't known you had a boyfriend, and one day I decided to get it out of my system.

"That day was a wreck for me. I wanted it to be perfect, so I got up early and did my best to impress you. I was so nervous I couldn't even look you in the face, and I was too proud to admit how scared I was. I covered by feigning callousness, until it was too late, and I had done something unforgivable, which I will not repeat, verbally or in action.

"What happened after that? You shot me down, and I hated myself for ruining it, and undoubtedly making you very upset. It also made me realize that maybe the best girl for me wasn't one who would fawn over me or be an airhead. I tried forever to redeem myself in your eyes, but you had a boyfriend, and you ignored me completely. I gave up on your attention, and you lived happily ever after. I, however have waited for a second chance ever since, and I'll be everything you want, If you'll have me."

He sat quietly, waiting for her to respond. He was ready to give up after this; all of the morning's confidence had evaporated during his monologue. However, he hung on to the hope that she would accept him.

Sango mulled over what he had said for a moment, thinking about how to respond. When she had said 'honesty', she hadn't meant '_honesty_'. Now she felt guilty about the lie she had planned on telling, but she wasn't sure if she could tell the whole truth.

Looking back up at Miroku's face, she realized he had said something else. "I'm sorry, Miroku, I didn't hear what you said."

"I actually told you to relax and take your time."

Sango laughed, relaxing instantly as the waitress returned with their food and drinks that Sango had ordered earlier. Sango dove into her meal, never keeping her mouth empty so she could delay the dreaded time when she would have to tell the truth. Miroku ate just as fast, but neater.

After plowing through the main course, sides, dessert, and a tall glass of soda, Sango had composed what she would say. One look at Miroku, who was sipping soda through a straw and staring at her, deflated all her confidence.

"Okay. I think this will be easier if I'm not facing you." Without waiting for a reply, Sango turned around and sat backwards in her chair. "What I said before is true, I did and do not want a playboy for a boyfriend. As strange as it may be at this point in my life, I want commitment. Back then, I wasn't sure if you could offer that. Not considering the fact I was already attached to someone, that is.

"I realized that I could easily fall of you; I still could. It scared me, to be honest. But then you had to as that girl _that_ question. I can't compete with that. I'm not like that, and I don't want to be. I'm- I'm sorry."

Not bothering to turn around and look back at him, Sango stood up and picked up her bag. She paused, eyes downcast, daring him to ask her to stop. When he didn't say anything, she sighed, ready to leave, and looked up, right into his eyes. Yelping, Sango jumped back. "Kami, Miroku, don't scare me like that!"

He only smiled and offered her his hand. At Sango's mistrustful glance, he spoke, "Don't worry, Sango. I won't make you compete with anyone or anything, if you'll have me."

The sincerity in his eyes won her over. She took his hand and he led her towards the exit. "Miroku," she whispered, "you have your second chance."

* * *

­­­­­­That evening, InuYasha was late to practice. He claimed he was "sick" and they were "lucky he showed up at all", but Eri had none of his nonsense. She directed him right on stage, because the banquet scene had already started. Kouga made a big show of switching from understudy to his main role, with much muttering about InuYasha's unworthiness. InuYasha punched him, and the scene moved on.

Every time InuYasha and Kagome came in contact, InuYasha made sure to cough or sneeze in her direction. As she sneered in disgust, she realized that was why he pretended to be sick, the cretin.

When the scene of their marriage began, the boy who played Friar Lawrence gave both InuYasha and Kagome evil glares, so they cooperated.

"_Good work, my ghostly confessor_," Kagome greeted the Friar, ignoring InuYasha.

"_Romeo shall thank thee, daughter, for us both_." InuYasha couldn't help scoffing at the Friar's reply, which earned his a glare from the Friar, Kagome, and Eri.

"_As much to him, else is his thanks too much_."

InuYasha, in return for the glares, decided to go all out on his part, "_Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy be heaped like mine, and that th- thy skill be more to bl-blazon it, then sweeten with thy breath this neighbor air, and let rich music's tongue unfold the imagined happiness that both receive in either by this dear encounter!_" He finished with a flourish, proud that he only stuttered twice. To continue the effect, he looked deep into Kagome's eyes with a smirk.

Kagome, taken aback by the sudden invasion, missed the beginning of her line and had to be prompted. "_C-conceit. . more rich in matter than in words. . brags of his substance, not of ornament. . They are but beggars that can count their worth. . but my true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth. ._" She found herself unable to tear her eyes away, and they stood frozen as the Friar married them and the scene ended. The three exited only when Eri coughed, causing them to turn red and ignore each other.

"I hate you for that, you know," Kagome hissed once they were off the stage. InuYasha replied by smirking, shrugging, and walking away. Kagome stamped her foot and stormed back to Ayame.

"That pig; he did that on purpose!" Kagome fumed until her next scene. Ayame, unable to calm her, gave up after half an hour.

The rest of the practice, a tense cloud settled over InuYasha and Kagome, as both were uncomfortable around the other.

At the end of the evening, Eri dismissed them to everyone's great relief. Nothing had been broken, and Kagome hadn't killed InuYasha. It had been a good practice.

* * *

**End of Act II!**

**Let me know what you thought of it! Especially that Miroku/Sango part! . **


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